cop. 


LINCOLN  AND  LEE 


PATRIOTIC  STORY 


SMITH  D.  FRY 


ALL  ABOUT 

MOUNT  VERNON  AND 
ARLINGTON   CEMETERY 


II  E>  RARY 

OF   THE 
UNIVERSITY 
OF    ILLINOIS 

from 
Carl  Sandburg's  Library 


Cop. 


'  iiH 

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* 


LINCOLN  AND  LEE 


PATRIOTIC  STORY 


BY 

SMITH    D.   FRY 

Historian  of  the  Capitol 


All  of  Fry's  Patriotic  Stories  Disseminate 
the  American's  Creed 

By  HON.  WM.  TYLER  PAGE 
(OFFICIAL) 

I  BELIEVE  in  the  United   States  of  America  as  a  government  of  the 
people,   by  the  people,    for  the  people,  whose  just  powers  are  derived 
from  the  consent  of  the  governed;  a  democracy  in  a -republic;  a  sover- 
eign Nation  of  many  sovereign  States ;  a  perfect  Union,  one  and  inseparable, 
established  upon  those  principles  of  freedom,  equality,  justice,  and  humanity 
for  which  American  patriots  sacrificed  their  lives  and  fortunes. 

I  therefore  believe  it  is  my  duty  to  my  country  to  love  it;  to  support 
its  Constitution;  to  obey  its  laws;  to  respect  its  flag;  and  to  defend  it 
against  all  enemies. 


LINCOLN  AND  LEE 


PATRIOTIC  STORY 


BY 


SMITH    D.   FRY 

Historian  of  the  Capitol 


All  of  Fry's  Patriotic  Stories  Disseminate 
the  American's  Creed 


By  HON.  \VM.  TYLER  PAGE 
(OFFICIAL) 

I  BELIEVE  in   the   United   States  of  America  as  a  government  of  the 
people,  by  the  people,   for  the  people,  whose  just  powers  are  derived 
from  the  consent  of  the  governed ;  a  democracy  in  a  republic ;  a  sover- 
eign Nation  of  many  sovereign  States ;  a  perfect  Union,  one  and  inseparable, 
established  upon  those  principles  of  freedom,  equality,  justice,  and  humanity 
for  which  American  patriots  sacrificed  their  lives  and  fortunes. 

I  therefore  believe  it  is  my  duty  to  my  country  to  love  it;  to  support 
its  Constitution;  to  obey  its  laws;  to  respect  its  flag;  and  to  defend  it 
against  all  enemies. 


COPYRIGHTED  IN  THE  LIBRARY  OF  CONGRESS  BY  SMITH  D.  FRY, 
1922 ;  COPYRIGHTED  FOR  PUBLICATION  IN  BOOK  FORM  ;  COPYRIGHTED 
FOR  PRODUCTION  AND  DISSEMINATION  ON  THE  SPEAKING  STAGE; 
COPYRIGHTED  FOR  REPRODUCTION  AND  DISSEMINATION  ON  THE 
SCREEN  STAGE  FOR  MOTION  PICTURES;  COPYRIGHTED  COMPLETELY 
IN  ACCORDANCE  WITH  THE  LAWS  OF  THE  CONGRESS  OF  THE  UNITED 
STATES.  ALL  RIGHTS  RESERVED. 


II 


•' 


/?, 


LINCOLN   AND    LEE 


American  History  Story  of  Drama,  Romance,  and  Tragedy 
in  Real  Life,  Told  at  Last,  in  Full 


Listen!  Hearken  and  Heed  the  wonderful  words  which  were 
given  to  the  world  by  Jesus,  the  Babe  of  Bethlehem;  by  Jesus, 
the  un-heeded  Carpenter  of  Nazareth ;  Jesus,  the  Marvelous  and 
Popular  Philosopher  of  Galilee;  Jesus,  the  Betrayed  Man  of 
Sorrows  in  Gethsemane ;  Jesus,  the  Christ  of  Calvary ;  Jesus,  who 
sat  within  the  boat,  on  the  crystal  waves  afloat  while  he  taught 
the  listening  people  on  the  land ;  the  Master  who  said : 

"Greater  love,  hath  no  man  than  this,  that  he  will  lay  down  his 
life  for  another." 


•  •  • 

111 


DEDICATION 

TO  my  wife,  Mary  Randolph,  daughter  of  Lieutenant  Com- 
mander John  B.  Randolph,  U.  S.  Navy,  this  last  literary 
effort  of  a  long  life  of  endeavor,  is  heartily  and  fervently 
dedicated,  with  the  hope  that  better  than  marble,  bronze,  brass  or 
granite  this  work  of  historic  value  will  prove  to  be  a  monument 
worthy  of  the  subject;  a  woman  that  was  a  model  for  woman- 
hood, a  wife  of  incomparable  fidelity,  a  mother  of  angelic  affec- 
tion and  a  friend  of  legions  who  benefited  by  her  friendship ; 
a  monument  chiseled  with  the  heart  and  hands  of  love,  by 

THE  AUTHOR. 


PREFACE 

FROM  the  dawn  of  the  day  when  the  curtain  was  raised  on 
the  stage  of  the  first  theatre  in  this  country,  each,  every  and 
all  playwrights  and  play-writers  have  sought  and  striven  in 
vain  for  the  theme,  the  suggestion  or  the  story  from  which  might 
be  developed  and  produced  the  outstanding  and  the  everlasting 
Great  American  Play. 

George  Washington  Custis  Lee  and  William  Henry  Fitzhugh 
Lee,  first  and  second-born  sons  of  Robert  E.  Lee,  were  present, 
and  in  their  youthful  ways  participated  in  the  great  reception  at 
Arlington  Mansion;  a  reception  concerning  which  there  has  been 
nothing  recorded  heretofore;  a  reception  which  surely  deserves 
a  paragraph  or  a  page  in  the  history  of  our  country. 

From  the  lips  of  those  participants  in  the  reception  the  nar- 
rator obtained  vivid  informative  descriptions  of  the  event.  The 
second  son,  known  at  home  as  "Rooney,"  remembered  a  great 
deal,  in  fact  nearly  all  of  the  utterances  of  his  grand-father, 
whom  he  loved  and  almost  idolized.  While  "Rooney"  was  a 
Member  of  the  House  of  Representatives  in  Washington  he  was 
frequently  a  dinner  guest  or  an  evening  caller  at  the  home  of 
the  writer.  He  spoke  unreservedly  and  with  wonderful  loving 
appreciation  of  the  heroism  of  his  elder  brother  during  the  tragedy 
of  the  Civil  War. 

But,  concerning  the  silent  suffering  of  Charlotte  Wickham,  his 
beloved  wife,  "Rooney"  was  surely  ignorant  entirely. 

General  Custis  Lee  absolutely  commanded  every  member  of  the 
family  to  be  silent  concerning  his  own  unexampled  self-sacri- 
fices. The  only  thing  that  he  would  say  to  the  folks  at  home,  or  to 
trusted  friends,  was  that  "General  Ould  had  charge  of  the  ex- 
change of  prisoners,  and  I  did  have  some  conversation  with  him 
about  that  matter." 

General  Custis  Lee  never  spoke  of  Charlotte,  nor  allowed  any 
conversation  concerning  that  almost  unknown  heroine,  except  on 
one  exceptional  occasion  when  he  described  to  the  writer  the 
scene  of  his  visit  to  inform  Charlotte  that  he  was  going  to  visit 
"Rooney"  in  prison ;  and  even  then  the  marvelous  man  was  un- 
emotional, apparently,  as  he  quietly  said:  "That  was  the  last 
time  that  I  saw  Charlotte.  I  did  not  realize  then  that  she  was 
really  dying,  even  as  she  gave  me  a  farewell  smile  and  waved 
her  hand  so  cheerfully.  I  understood  her  tears,  but  I  did  not 
understand  her  physical  condition." 

•  • 

yii 


Not  until  General  Custis  Lee  was  in  the  sere  and  yellow  leaf 
of  life  when  he  knew  and  fearlessly  faced  the  fact  that  he  should 
soon  stand  before  "the  pearly  gates  of  the  New  Jerusalem"  did 
that  masterful  and  mandatory  man  modify  his  command  of 
silence  concerning  his  unparalleled  deeds. 

On  the  occasion  of  his  last  visit  to  Washington  City,  not  many 
months  before  he  reclined  upon  the  bed  of  illness  which  held 
him  for  more  than  a  year,  General  Custis  Lee  met  with  the  nar- 
rator by  appointment  at  the  Ebbitt  House;  and  there,  after  a 
brief  conversation  concerning  family  affairs  and  the  final  success 
which  he  had  achieved  in  obtaining  recompense  from  the  federal 
government  for  the  Arlington  Estate,  he  listened  patiently  to 
the  hundredth-time  request  for  permission  to  write  his  story 
because  it  seemed  to  the  writer  to  belong  to  American  history. 
Laying  one  slight  and  slender  hand  upon  the  shoulder  of  the 
smaller  man,  and  holding  before  his  eyes  the  other  up-lifted  hand 
as  though  giving  an  oath  to  a  witness,  General  Custis  Lee  said : 

"After  I  arn  gone  you  may  write,  but  with  the  absolute  under- 
standing that  nothing  that  I  have  done  shall  be  blazoned  forth  so 
as  to  share  nor  to  shade  the  glory  and  fame  of  my  father  whose 
memory  I  worship.  The  people  of  the  South  must  know  no  other 
hero  than  General  Robert  E.  Lee." 

That  impressive  inhibition,  which  could  not  be  forgotten  nor 
evaded,  may  give  to  history  an  innate  idea  of  the  magnificent 
grandeur  of  the  character  of  General  George  Washington  Cus- 
tis Lee. 

Inasmuch  as  the  great  peasant  prince,  Abraham  Lincoln,  was 
called  upon  b/  the  conditions  into  which  the  life  of  Custis  Lee 
ran,  to  stand  forth  as  a  commanding  figure  in  the  story,  mention 
must  be  made  of  him  in  this  prefatory  statement.  Not  many 
years  previous  to  the  production  of  this  work,  the  narrator  gave 
newspaper  publication  to  the  most  marvelous  description  of 
Abraham  Lincoln  that  ever  had  been  uttered,  and  it  is  here  re- 
produced : 

"No  sculptor  has  told  the  story  and  no  artist  has  recorded  the 
drama-comedy-tragedy  revealed  in  the  features  of  that  meteor  of 
humanity  and  spirituality  which  flashed  its  brightest  iridescence 
on  the  field  of  Gettysburg,"  said  Colonel  Richard  J.  Bright,  long 
time  eminent  in  Washington  as  the  matchless  executive  official 
of  the  United  States  Senate,  the  good  man  who  was  closing  the 
eighty-fifth  year  of  his  sojourn  on  this  planet  as  these  lines  were 
written. 

"I  saw  Abraham  Lincoln  when  I  believed  him  to  be  the  home- 
liest creature  in  human  form  ever  permitted  to  cumber  this  earth, 
by  walking  and  talking  with  the  statesmen  of  our  republic,"  said 
the  venerable  sage. 

viii 


"I  saw  Abraham  Lincoln  on  the  platform  engaged  in  earnest 
discussion  of  then  current  topics  and  I  believed  him  to  be  the 
most  forceful  character  ever  known  in  the  political  arena. 

"I  saw  Abraham  Lincoln  keyed  up  to  righteous  wrath  on  the 
subject  of  human  slavery  and  I  regarded  him  as  a  singularly 
lofty  demon  of  immense  proportions,  stirring  strife  between  the 
sections  of  our  sacred  union  of  confederated  States. 

"I  saw  Abraham  Lincoln  administering  justice  in  military  and 
naval  affairs,  when  he  seemed  to  be  a  composite  incarnation  of 
Julius  Caesar  and  the  hero  of  Trafalgar. 

"I  saw  Abraham  Lincoln  in  the  White  House  tenderly  offering 
to  a  mother  mercy  for  her  condemned  son,  sentenced  to  death  by 
court  martial ;  saw  him  revoking  the  doctrine  of  'an  eye  for  an 
eye  and  a  tooth  for  a  tooth,'  substituting  for  it  the  new  com- 
mandment 'that  ye  love  one  another,'  and  I  believed  his  face  to 
be  the  most  awe-inspiringly  beautiful  cameo  ever  cut  by  Almighty 
God  to  demonstrate  that  Omnipotence  had  'created  man  in  His 
own  image,'  and  then  sent  His  Son  to  say  concerning  mortal  man : 
— 'Father,  forgive  them,  for  they  know  not  what  they  do.' 

"Future  generations  cannot  see  Abraham  Lincoln  in  marble,  in 
bronze,  nor  on  canvas,  for  no  human  being  can  portray  him  with 
chisel  nor  with  brush.  Almost  do  I  offer  up  a  prayer  for  in- 
spiration when  I  strive  in  words  to  picture  that  wonderful  man, 
of  whom  it  may  be  said  with  becoming  reverence  that  he  was 
indeed  also  'a  man  of  sorrows  and  acquainted  with  grief.'  " 


AND   FURTHERMORE 

when  mournful  and  sorrowing  millions  were  bowing  their  heads 
in  poignant  grief,  while  the  mortal  remains  of  Abraham  Lincoln, 
the  great  Disciple  of  the  Golden  Rule,  were  being  laid  away  in 
their  windowless  palace  of  Rest,  at  Springfield,  Illinois,  \vho 
would  have  supposed  that  the  Boys  in  Blue  and  the  Boys  in  Gray 
would  ever  again  become  reconciled ;  would  ever  fervently  re- 
peat the  vow  of  the  lamented  Lincoln,  "with  malice  towards 
none  and  with  charity  for  all?"  At  that  time,  such  a  re-union 
would  have  been  deemed  utterly  impossible. 

And  yet,  in  less  than  a  quarter  of  a  century,  the  sons  of  the 
valiant  American  soldiers  who  had  followed  Grant  and  Lee,  were 
enthusiastically  marching  together,  shoulder  to  shoulder,  in  Cuba 
and  in  Porto  Rico,  under  one  flag,  with  the  greatest  American 
soldier  then  living,  Major  General  Nelson  A.  Miles,  and  the 
greatest  living  American  cavalry  leader,  Major  General  Joseph 
Wheeler. 

And  furthermore,  who  then  would  have  supposed  that  any  one 
of  those  Boys  in  Blue  would  ever  be  pleading  for  an  enlargement 

ix 


of  the  reputation  in  history  of  an  officer  of  the  Boys  in  Gray? 

And  yet,  during  the  summer  and  autumn  months  of  the  year 
1922,  Ira  M.  Bond,  one  of  the  soldiers  in  Blue,  1861  to  1865, 
having  heard  a  casual  and  superficial  narration  of  the  Golden  Rule 
life  of  General  Custis  Lee,  insisted  and  persisted  in  his  insistence, 
until  the  veteran  and  retired  journalist  was  practically  compelled 
by  that  Yankee  demand  for  historic  justice,  to  tell  to  mankind 
the  wonderful  life  of  the  Confederate  General,  George  Wash- 
ington Custis  Lee. 

Without  this  statement  of  fact,  giving  honor  to  whom  honor 
is  due,  this  prefatory  statement  would  not  be  complete.  It  has 
been  owing  to  the  persistent  insistence  of  Ira  M.  Bond,  himself 
a  veteran  journalist,  that  American  history,  American  literature, 
and  American  valor  are  given  this  story  of  Lincoln  and  Lee ; 
by  one  in  the  sere  and  yellow  leaf  of  life;  but  the  only  writer 
who  could  produce  these  informative  and  valuable  facts  con- 
cerning a  departed  friend. 

Miss  Letitia  C.  Tyler,  daughter  of  President  John  Tyler,  gave 
to  the  narrator,  verbally,  her  own  version  of  the  flag  raising.  The 
story  was  written  and  submitted  to  Miss  Tyler  for  her  approval, 
or  for  correction. 

On  Monday,  August  17,  1908,  on  letter  paper  bearing  the 
family  crest  and  motto,  "Spes  et  Fortitude,"  Miss  Tyler  wrote 
to  the  narrator  an  autographic  communication  which  now  lies 
before  the  writer,  in  which  letter  Miss  Tyler  wrote: 

"I  am  afraid  I  shall  have  to  ask  you  to  call  and  see  me  about 
the  article  you  have  sent  to  me.  I  cannot  go  into  the  question 
on  paper.  If  there  is  nothing  to  prevent,  suppose  you  call  on 
Tuesday  night.  Yours  truly,  Letitia  C.  Tyler." 

Miss  Tyler  also  gave  to  the  narrator  her  view  of  the  heroism 
and  self-sacrifice  of  General  Custis  Lee,  after  the  battle  of  Brandy 
Station. 

Seeking  diligently  to  cover  all  possible  points  in  the  story,  the 
narrator  wrote  to  Col.  R.  E.  Lee  concerning  the  nickname  of 
"Rooney,"  and  received  the  following  letter: 

"Ravensworth,  Burke,  Fairfax  Co.,  Virginia,  March  12,  1918. 

"As  to  how  Gen.  W.  H.  F.  Lee  got  the  nickname  of  'Rooney' 
presents  another  difficulty.  There  is  nothing  harder  to  get  than 
the  truth.  I  can't  recall  my  father  ever  telling  me  how  he  came 
by  the  name,  but  it  is  a  tradition  of  my  childhood  from  my 
earliest  recollection,  that  there  was  an  Irish  servant  employed  by 
Gen.  R.  E.  Lee,  possibly  as  a  groom  or  in  some  other  capacity, 
by  the  name  of  Patrick  Rooney,  who,  as  a  small  boy,  Gen.  W.  H. 
F.  Lee  resembled ;  and,  as  Gen.  R.  E.  Lee  was  very  fond  of 
nicknames,  having  one  for  every  child,  and  to  distinguish  W.  H. 
Fitzhugh  Lee  from  his  cousin,  Fitzhugh  Lee,  who  was  a  few 


years  his  senior,  the  former  was  called  'Rooney/  which  name 
stuck  to  him  to  the  day  he  died. 

"I  related  practically  the  above  in  the  sick  room  of  Gen.  G.  W. 
C.  Lee,  where  he  was  flat  on  his  back  for  fourteen  months,  and 
he  said  with  a  good  deal  of  impatience  that  that  was  not  true, 
that  the  name  was  gotten  from  the  hero  of  some  book  popular  at 
that  time.  He  named  the  character  of  the  book,  a  novel  I  think, 
but  unfortunately  1  have  forgotten  both.  This  much  is  to  be 
said,  Gen.  G.  W.  C.  Lee  never  took  any  stock  in  accepted  legends 
of  history.  He  generally  had  a  contrary  version ;  so,  realizing 
that  fact,  I  am  very  much  at  sea  in  this  matter.  Either  deriva- 
tion is  possible. 

"Hoping  that  you  will  advise  me  if  I  can  be  of  further  service 
in  this  matter,  Yours  very  sincerely,  R.  E.  Lee." 

This  much  of  private  correspondence  is  given  in  order  that 
the  American  people  may  know  that,  with  the  instinct,  training 
and  half  century  of  experience  in  newspaper  work,  nothing  was 
left  undone  by  the  narrator  to  obtain  accurate  historic  statements ; 
so  that  there  can  be  no  doubt  in  the  future  of  the  evidentiary 
facts  herein  given  to  the  history  of  our  country. 

That  truth  is  stranger  than  fiction  is  a  fact  thus  demonstrated. 
Future  readers  and  writers  will  place  the  more  value  upon  and 
manifest  the  greater  interest  because  it  is  miraculously  true  that 
these  mortals  did  live  and  dwell  in  our  own  country,  and  that 
truth  is  told  on  every  page  of  this  final  production  of  the  long- 
sought  genuine  Great  American  Story.  S.  D.  F. 


XI 


. 


STORY  OF  THE  FRIENDSHIP 


OF 


PRESIDENT  ZACHARY  TAYLOR 


AND 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON   PARKE    CUSTIS 


AND  THE 


RECEPTION  AT  ARLINGTON 


The  Prologue 


WITHOUT   careful   and   comprehensive   reading   of    Euro- 
pean history  you  cannot  comprehend  American  history. 

Without  acquiring  detailed  knowledge  of  the  history  of 
Great  Britain,  particularly  of  England,  you  cannot  intelligently 
read  the  history  of  the  United  States.  English  history  is  a  pro- 
logue to  our  own  history. 

They  cannot  vote  intelligently  in  the  next  national  elections 
who  do  not  know  the  history  of  their  own  country;  and  they 
cannot  understand  conditions  existing  in  this  twentieth  century, 
without  having  a  clear  and  clearly  understood  knowledge  of  the 
history  of  our  country  in  the  three  centuries  preceding  this  cen- 
tury in  which  we  live. 

This  great  American  story  is  told  for  the  general  welfare,  and 
in  order  that  the  narrative  may  be  clearly  understood  this  pro- 
logue is  a  literary  and  educational  necessity.  You  must  at  least" 
know  the  name  and  the  character  of  one  ancestor,  born  two 
hundred  years  ago,  in  order  that  you  may  the  better  comprehend 
the  marvelous  character  of  that  one  of  his  descendants,  the  great, 
great  grand-son  who  walked  with  men  and  talked  with  men  and 
lived,  "in  this  world  and  yet  not  of  this  world,"  because  he  was 
intellectually  and  spiritually  far  above  it,  in  an  atmosphere  of 
purity  which  was  then  and  is  now  almost  beyond  human  com- 
prehension. 

For  the  warp,  woof  and  worth  of  this  hero 
Read  names  carved  on  his  family  tree  ; 

Custis,  Calvert.  Lord  Baltimore.  Randolph, 
"Light  Horse  Harry,"  and  Robert  E.  Lee. 

Daniel  Parke  Custis,  first  great  merchant  prince  of  Virginia, 
was  the  founder  of  a  family  that  was  well  nigh  a  dynasty.  Being 
neither  a  prophet  nor  the  son  of  a  prophet,  Daniel  Parke  Custis 
had  neither  knowledge  nor  image  of  the  fact  that  Mother  Nature 
had  planted  within  his  loins  and  nourished  with  his  blood  the 
germs  of  America's  most  chivalric  courage,  unparalleled  romance, 
and  Galilean  self-sacrifice. 

John  Parke  Custis,  only  son  of  the  merchant  prince  and  of 
his  wife  who  had  been  Margaret  Dandridge,  and  who  subsequently 
became  Martha  Washington,  was  the  title  holder  of  the  famous 
and  extensive  Arlington  estate;  and  his  son  George  Washington 
Parke  Custis,  adopted  son  of  George  Washington,  built  the 
famous  Arlington  Mansion  as  a  home  for  his  bride.  In  that 
mansion  was  born  his  only  daughter,  Mary  Ann  Randolph  Custis, 


and  she,  as  the  wife  of  Robert  E.  Lee,  became  the  mother  of 
the  typical  American  hero  concerning  whose  remarkable  life  these 
lines  are  written,  George  Washington  Custis  Lee. 

During  his  entire  life  of  half  a  century  in  Arlington  Mansion 
George  Washington  Parke  Custis  was  one  of  the  most  dis- 
tinguished and  at  the  same  time  one  of  the  best  beloved  citizens 
of  this  republic.  As  an  entertainer  he  had  no  equal  during  that 
half  century  and  since  that  time  his  superior  has  not  appeared. 

Such  were  the  conditions  when  George  Washington  Parke 
Custis  announced  to  the  society  of  Washington  City,  his  inten- 
tion to  give  a  public  reception  at  Arlington  Mansion  in  honor  of 
his  son-in-law,  Lieutenant  Colonel  Robert  E.  Lee,  who  had  re- 
turned a  wounded  veteran  of  distinction  and  military  renown 
from  the  war  with  Mexico ;  and  so  great  was  the  desire  of  all  of 
the  leading  citizens,  their  wives,  and  developing  children  to  at- 
tend that  reception  in  honor  of  Colonel  Robert  E.  Lee,  at  the 
magnificent  Colonial  home  of  his  distinguished  father-in-law,  that 
it  became  necessary  to  limit  the  attendance  by  special  cards  of 
invitation. 

"OLD   ZACK"  WAS  APPRECIATIVE 

But  for  George  Washington  Parke  Custis  the  people  might  have 
given  to  "Old  Zack"  a  terrible  trouncing. 

Although  he  was  an  outstanding  figure  as  a  great  hero  of  the 
Mexican  War,  there  were  others;  and  his  election  to  the  presi- 
dency in  1848  might  not  have  been  accomplished,  and  Zachary 
Taylor  knew  it,  if  the  grand-son  of  Martha  Washington  had  op- 
posed him. 

But,  that  magnificent  old  gentleman,  then  in  his  sixty-seventh 
year,  prayed  for  guidance  by  the  spirit  of  Washington,  his  father 
by  adoption  whom  he  had  almost  worshipped,  and  then  George 
Washington  Parke  Custis  announced  that  he  would  support 
Zachary  Taylor,  and  vote  for  him  cheerfuly.  He  did  more,  for 
the  old  Virginian,  the  only  man  living  who  had  personally  and 
most  intimately  known  George  Washington,  went  out  and  made 
several  speeches  f6r  Taylor;  and  the  political  managers  of  that 
day  knew  how  to  disseminate  those  speeches  throughout  the 
length  and  breadth  of  the  land. 

In  the  city  of  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania,  on  November  15th, 
in  the  year  1848,  The  Niles'  National  Register  published  the  fol- 
lowing news  item: 

"The  venerable  George  Washington  Parke  Custis  gave  his 
maiden  vote  for  the  presidency  to  General  Taylor  on  the  7th 
instant.  This  circumstance  is  handsomely  alluded  to  in  the  fol- 
lowing eloquent  extract  of  a  speech  delivered  by  him  at  a  bar- 
becue held  recently  at  Bladensburg: 


"  'Strange  as  it  may  seem  to  you,  my  fellow  countrymen,  you 
see  before  you  an  old  man  with  whitened  locks  and  a  bald  head, 
in  fact,  a  grandfather,  who  has  never  yet  voted  in  his  life.  Living, 
as  I  aways  have,  within  the  limits  of  the  District  of  Columbia, 
no  vote  was  vouchsafed  to  me  until  the  recent  act  of  retrocession 
set  that  part  of  the  District  where  my  residence  is  back  to  the 
State  of  Virginia.  And  now  I  am  about  to  give  my  maiden  vote ! 
In  doing  it,  I  shall  exercise  a  privilege  enjoyed  by  no  other  voter 
in  the  nation — the  privilege  of  casting  the  only  vote  that  can  be 
cast  hailing  from  the  sacred  shades  of  Mount  Vernon,  and  repre- 
senting the  family  of  the  greatest  and  best  of  departed  men,  the 
father  of  his  country,  and,  oh,  when  I  appeal  to  his  great  spirit 
in  heaven  to  guide  me,  how  I  shall  give  my  vote  in  this  interesting 
and  important  election,  methinks  I  hear  him  say,  'bestow  your 
suffrage  upon  the  most  worthy.'  " 

Thus  you  will  see  and  comprehend  that  it  was  quite  natural, 
and  to  be  expected,  that  when  George  Washington  Parke  Custis 
invited  President  Zachary  Taylor  to  a  grand  reception  at  the 
Arlington  Mansion,  the  President  of  the  United  States  would  be 
very  prompt  to  respond,  and  to  be  glad  of  the  opportunity  to  thus 
show  his  appreciation  of  the  support  of  the  most  distinguished 
private  citizen  of  our  Republic. 

Never  before  and  never  afterwards  was  there  such  a  picture 
of  pride  and  power  and  pomp  in  this  country;  and  no  such 
picture  can  ever  again  be  presented.  Over  the  some-time  famous 
old  Long  Bridge,  there  was  a  procession  of  gentlemen  on  horse 
back,  ladies  in  carriages,  individual  parties  of  ladies  and  gen- 
tlemen riding  high-stepping  thoroughbreds ;  and  all  of  those 
ladies  and  gentlemen  were  individuals  of  the  upper  tendom  of 
exclusive  society.  They  represented  the  incipient  nobility  of  this 
republic.  Wealth  flashed  its  jewels  and  expensive  apparels,  but 
the  nobility  of  intelligence  also  was  there,  and  compelled  implicit 
obedience  to  the  declaration  that  "all  men  are  created  equal." 

Only  in  memory  of  the  aged  and  ageing,  and  only  upon  the 
pages  of  history  can  the  Long  Bridge  live.  Such  styles  of  raiment 
for  men  as  well  as  for  women  cannot  now  be  reproduced,  nor 
ever  will  be ;  and  never  upon  any  stage  can  be  depicted  the  scene 
of  that  procession  of  the  elect  across  that  highway  to  the  Arling- 
ton estate,  though  the  embowered  roadways  ascending  Arlington 
Heights,  and  into  the  great  enclosure  of  landscape  surrounding 
the  mansion. 

Gayety  prevailed,  happiness  was  the  dominating  spirit  of  the 
occasion.  Although  ambition  may  have  shrouded  the  hearts  of 
some  of  the  guests  there,  as  everywhere,  even  the  faces  of  those 
were  masked  with  smiles  as  seemingly  real  as  the  indescribable 
smiles  of  innocence  upon  the  beautiful  faces  of  babes  in  arms  of 
mothers. 

• 

5 


And  so,  at  the  appointed  time  on  the  afternoon  of  March  8, 
1849,  a  wonderfully  beautiful  spring-time  day,  joy  was  uncon- 
fined ;  and  as  the  guests  began  to  arrive  a  line  was  formed  along 
the  graveled  pathway  south  of  the  mansion ;  lively  chattering  and 
gossiping  echoing  in  the  trees  not  unlike  the  musical  discussions 
of  the  myriads  of  birds. 

Although  the  sun  was  shining,  there  was  an  invigorating  breeze 
sweeping  over  the  heights.  Prudent  observers  realized  that  out 
of  the  great  northwest  clouds  were  coming  and  that  cumuli  were 
forming  in  the  warm  glow  of  the  declining  sun.  Wise  men  and 
women  of  mature  years  realized  that  although  the  customary 
blizzardy  storm  of  inauguration  day  had  not  appeared,  the  season 
•was  ripe  for  atmospheric  gymnastics. 

And,  while  the  reception  was  at  the  pinnacle  of  perfection  and 
"'soft  eyes  looked  love  to  eyes  that  spake  again,  and  all  went 
merry  as  a  marriage  bell,"  the  weather  was  developing  mischief. 
"The  snow,  the  beautiful  snow,"  was  mantling  the  land,  and, 
while  the  sun  was  placing  its  good-night  kiss  upon  the  Federal 
City,  and  was  touching  with  gold  the  tall  tree  tops  while  it 
purpled  the  distant  hills,  the  winds  began  to  whistle  wierd 
warnings. 

Consequently  there  was  another  moving  picture  on  the  Long 
Bridge ;  a  picture  of  unrestrained  gayety  and  undiminished  hap- 
piness, as  the  returning  procession  proceeded  upon,  over  and 
through  the  white  roadway.  Bright  eyes  were  brighter  and 
roseate  cheeks  in  perfect  health  became  ruddy  and  glowing  as 
the  rich  and  the  great,  in  the  pomp  and  the  pride  of  their 
worldly  estate,  rode,  marched  and  ambled  homeward.  That  night 
many  a  gallant  knight  and  many  a  lady  fair  retired  to  a  com- 
fortable bed  to  "listen  to  the  patter  of  the  soft  rain  overhead." 

You  should  have  been  told  before  that,  although  useful  and 
absolutely  necessary  to  contiguous  mankind,  the  Long  Bridge 
was  not  ornamental,  and  there  were  no  solemn  obsequies  when 
it  was  destroyed  to  make  room  for  the  modern  highway  bridge, 
an  architectural  achievement  which  is  as  beautiful  as  it  is  useful. 
But,  between  the  two  pictures  of  the  bridge  which  many  hated 
because  of  the  thousands  of  young  Yankees  which  marched  across 
it.  and,  after  this  interlude  of  history,  we  must  return  and  par- 
ticipate in 

THE  GREAT  RECEPTION  AT  ARLINGTON 

On  the  lower  step  of  the  great  Greek  Portico  of  the  Arlington 
Mansion  stood  the  receiving  line,  George  Washington  Parke 
Custis,  then  65  years  of  age,  dressed  in  the  garments  of  Colonial 
days,  and  next  to  him  his  wife;  next  to  her  the  son-in-law  of 
whom  they  both  were  very  proud,  Lieutenant  Colonel  Robert  E. 

6 


Lee,  and  next  to  him  the  wife  who  loved  him  with  an  almost 
idolatrous  affection. 

In  the  right  of  this  word  picture  there  must  be  shown  the 
tables',  prepared  with  lavish  care  and  with  lavish  expenditures, 
attended  by  the  slave  servants  who  were  well  trained  and  well 
versed  in  their  duties,  each  and  everyone  of  them. 

The  Marine  Band  was  then  an  infant  musical  organization 
under  the  direction  of  Professor  Scala,  and  the  members  of  that 
band  were  properly  located  on  the  portico. 

At  the  head  of  the  receiving  line  of  that  greatest  home  recep- 
tion ever  held  in  this  republic  came  Zachary  Taylor,  President  of 
the  United  States,  next  to  him  Millard  Fillmore,  Vice  President 
of  the  United  States;  Howell  Cobb  of  Georgia,  Speaker  of  the 
House  of  Representatives,  and  following  them  the  Members  of 
the  United  States  Senate  and  of  the  House  of  Representatives, 
and  next  to  them  the  Members  of  the  Cabinet  of  the  new 
Administration. 

President  Zachary  Taylor,  Vice  President  Fillmore,  and  Speaker 
Howell  Cobb  took  their  places  along  side  the  receiving  line  while 
the  others  attending  the  reception  proceeded  on  to  the  tables 
where  they  were  met  by  the  trained  servants  with  mint  juleps 
and  other  delicacies  which  were  part  of  the  necessities  of  all 
receptions  in  those  days. 

After  the  gentlemen  had  passed  the  reviewing  line  the  ladies 
of  their  families  came,  each  one  with  modest  well-bred  pride 
taking  her  proper  place  in  the  line  in  accordance  with  the  rank 
of  her  husband ;  and  after  the  ladies  had  passed  the  reviewing 
line  they  ascended  the  steps  of  the  portico,  entered  the  great 
reception  room  and  the  other  rooms  prepared  for  the  reception 
of  such  a  gathering  of  the  nobility  of  the  republic.  Mrs.  Custis 
and  her  daughter,  Mrs.  Lee,  entered  the  Mansion  to  entertain 
the  ladies  who  were  also  served  with  refreshments  by  the  trained 
negro  house  servants  of  the  estate,  while  upon  the  portico  quite 
naturally  were  grouped  the  heroes  of  the  war  with  Mexico. 
President  Zachary  Taylor,  General  Winfield  Scott,  Colonel 
Robert  E.  Lee,  and  other  Army  officials  in  accordance  with  their 
ranks.  Senator  Jefferson  Davis,  of  Mississippi,  also  one  of  the 
distinguished  veterans  of  that  war,  and  a  West  Point  graduate 
of  extraordinary  merit,  eagerly  joined  the  coterie.  Having  been 
Secretary  of  War,  and  usually  in  touch  with  military  affairs. 
Jefferson  Davis  was  always  welcome  in  military  circles.  While 
occupying  the  position  of  Secretary  of  War  it  was  he  who  had 
designated  Robert  E.  Lee  to  be  Superintendent  of  the  Military 
Academy  at  West  Point.  In  common  with  all  military  men  of 
that  period  Jefferson  Davis  cherished  with  esteem  and  antici- 
pation of  greatness,  the  chief  guest  of  that  great  reception. 
Colonel  Robert  E.  Lee,  the  almost  defied  son-in-law  of  the  host 
of  the  occasion,  George  Washington  Parke  Custis. 


But,  before  giving  details  of  the  sayings  and  doings  on  that 
great  occasion;  before  telling  of  the  discussions  which  followed 
the  juleps  and  other  refreshments,  let  us  look  over  the  line  of 
the  visitors  who  came  to  receive  the  hospitality  of  the  host  and 
to  honor  the  chief  guest  of  the  occasion,  the  military  hero  con- 
cerning whom  the  whole  world  was  to  hear,  and  whose  deeds 
were  to  fill  the  pages  of  American  history  for  all  time.  The  guests 
were  distinguished  and  numerous,  as  you  will  observe  by  scan- 
ning the  list  of  those  who  came  to 

THE  GREAT  RECEPTION 

President  Zachary  Taylor  of  Louisiana, 

Vice  President  Millard  Fillmore, 

Secretary  of  State  James  Buchanan, 

Secretary  of  War  Wm.  L.  Marcy, 

Major  General  Winfield  Scott, 

Senator  John  C.  Calhoun, 

Speaker  Howell  Cobb, 

Senators  Mason  and  Hunter  of  Virginia, 

Senators  Dickinson  and  Seward  of  New  York. 

Senators  Downs  and  Soule  of  Louisiana, 

Senators  Gwin  and  Fremont  of  California, 

Senators  Houston  and  Rusk  of  Texas, 

Senators  Douglas  and  Shields  of  Illinois, 

Senators  Clay  and  Underwood  of  Kentucky  (Underwood  was 
grandfather  of  Oscar  U.). 

Senators  Webster  and  Davis  of  Massachusetts, 

Senators  Jefferson  Davis  and  Henry  Foote  of  Mississippi, 

Senator  Cass  of  Michigan, 

Senator  Benton  of  Missouri, 

Senators  Tom  Corwin  and  Salmon  P.  Chase  of  Ohio, 

Wives,  daughters  and  ladies  of  families  of  Senators  and 
Representatives. 

Senator  Hannibal  Hamlin  of  Maine,  who  was  to  become  Vice 
President  by  the  election  of  the  national  ticket  of  a  new  political 
party  only  twelve  years  in  the  future ;  Hannibal  Hamlin  attended 
the  great  reception,  although  he  came  some  time  after  the  formal 
greetings  of  the  reception  line. 

You  will  observe  that  there  was  no  North  and  no  South  in 
those  days,  although  the  slavery  question  was  forging  to  the  front. 

In  the  large  carriage  with  Senator  Hannibal  Hamlin  there 
came  an  active  and  alert  little  man ;  one  whose  eyes  and  face 
radiated  intelligence ;  a  man  so  slender  as  to  excite  wonder  at 
his  palpable  fires  of  inexhaustible  energy.  The  small  man  was  a 
Representative  from  Georgia,  named  Alexander  Hamilton  Ste- 
phens. It  was  written  in  the  book  of  fate  that  he  should  become 
Vice  President  of  a  newly  organized  government,  twelve  years 

8 


later,  and  at  the  same  time  that  Hannibal  Hamlin  was  to  become 
Vice  President  of  the  United  States. 

The  new  government  was  to  be  known,  while  it  lasted,  as  the 
Confederate  States  of  America. 

Now,  where  did  that  name  come  from?  Who  originated  it? 
If  you  will  read  the  brief  inaugural  address  of  President  John 
Tyler,  you  will  observe  that  he  therein  spoke,  officially,  of  "this 
CONFEDERACY";  and  President  Tyler  thus  gave  the  first 
and  only  official  interpretation  of  the  Constitution  of  the  United 
States,  holding  that  instrument  to  be  indeed  "a  rope  of  sand"; 
as  British  diplomatic  officials  always  had  declared  it  to  be. 

John  Tyler  was  the  first  eminent  official  in  this  country  to  thus 
proclaim  the  right  of  secession  of  a  sovereign  state.  That  state- 
ment in  the  inaugural  address  of  President  John  Tyler  gave  the 
name  to  the  Confederate  States  of  America. 

Incidentally  it  must  be  noticed  that  the  leading  men  of  the 
North  and  of  the  South  knew  each  other  well.  Those  in  civil 
life  and  those  in  military  life  were  well  acquainted;  and,  when 
the  disunion  came  so  speedily  after  that  great  reception  at  Arling- 
ton, the  leading  antagonists  knew  and  could  respect  the  merits 
and  mental  calibers  of  each  other.  But,  at  that  time,  on  that 
particular  date 

THERE  WAS  ONE 

Member  of  the  House  of  Representatives  who  was  not  very 
well  known.  He  was  not  included  in  the  list  of  guests  invited 
to  the  great  reception.  That  he  failed  to  receive  an  invitation 
was  not  because  of  his  obscurity  only.  His  name  was  well  known. 
His  one  term  of  two  years  was  concluded,  and  he  was  preparing 
to  return  to  his  distant  home,  after  calling  and  paying  his  respects 
to  the  recently  inaugurated  President,  Zachary  Taylor. 

But,  even  if  he  had  remained  in  Washington  City,  the  obscure 
Member  would  not  have  received  an  invitation  to  the  reception. 
It  was  utterly  impossible  that  he  could  even  expect  an  invitation, 
for  he  belonged  and  he  knew  that  he  belonged  to  that  class  of 
citizens  known  as  "poor  white  trash."  He  was  known  to  be  a 
working  man.  It  was  known  that  he  had  always  been  kept  hard 
at  work  for  his  bread  and  butter.  Men  of  the  working  classes 
were  not  expected  to  invade  the  classes  of  the  prosperous ;  and 
they  did  not  expect  to  receive  invitations.  This  neglected  Mem- 
ber of  Congress  had  been  working  on  farms  of  the  western 
frontier  of  American  civilization.  Quite  a  large  part  of  his  life- 
time had  been  spent  in  felling  trees,  cutting  them  into  logs,  for 
home  building.  Thousands  of  those  felled  trees,  after  having 
been  cut  into  logs,  this  Member  of  Congress  had  split  into  rails 
for  the  building  of  fences.  He  was  known,  and  contemptuously 
known,  as  "a  rail  splitter."  His  home  was  in  Illinois,  and  his 

9 


name  was  Abraham  Lincoln;  and,  as  he  sat  alone  in  his  room 
at  Gadsby's  Hotel  on  the  night  after  inauguration  there  came 
to  him  visions  of  his  prairie  home  and  the  frontier  friends  with 
whom  he  was  popular  ;  and  the  coming  gorgeous  reception  received 
not  even  a  passing  thought;  certainly  not  a  wish  nor  a  regret  in 
the  simple  and  honest  heart  of  Abraham  Lincoln. 

On  the  contrary,  the  new  Congressman  was  solemnly  reflective, 
saying  to  himself : 

"Our  Father  in  Heaven  has  been  very  good  to  me.  He  has 
led  me  out  of  the  wilderness  of  poverty  and  anxiety  into  the 
Promised  Land  of  peace  and  plentv.  He  leadeth  me  by  still 
waters.  He  restoreth  my  soul.  My  ways  now  are  ways  of 
pleasantness  and  all  of  my  paths  are  paths  of  contentment.  And, 
Mother  has  plenty,  too.  Praise  the  Lord !" 

As  he  prepared  for  "tired  Nature's  sweet  restorer,  balmy 
sleep,"  he  glanced  at  the  big  old-fashioned  bedstead,  and  smiled. 
It  reminded  him  of  the  big  bed  in  the  rooming  house  of  old 
Mrs.  Bedloe,  in  Springfield,  where,  only  a  few  years  before,  he 
had  experienced  difficulty  in  earning  the  money  with  which  to 
pay  a  modest  monthly  rental. 

Vivid  memory  brought  before  him  a  moving  picture  of  old 
Father  Speed,  the  gentleman  from  Kentucky  who  kept  the  gen- 
eral store  at  Springfield;  the  kind  of  a  store  that  lives  only  in 
history;  or,  in  the  memories  of  those  now  old  and  gray  or  bald, 
or  both.  In  those  days  the  "frontier  general  store"  carried  a 
stock  of  everything,  from  pins  and  needles  to  buffalo  robes  and 
bullet  molds ;  also  molds  for  making  tallow  candles. 

This  merchant  (Speed)  had  a  young  man  from  Louisville  as 
his  principal  clerk;  although  he  employed  others  as  they  were 
needed  by  the  day  or  week.  One  damp,  chilly,  windy  day  of 
November  the  young  lawyer  (Lincoln)  came  into  the  big  cara- 
vansary of  merchandise,  which  covered  almost  half  an  acre  of 
ground,  sat  silently  beside  one  of  the  big  cannon  stoves  which 
heated  the  place,  until  he  caught  Speed  at  leisure  for  a  minute, 
and  Lincoln  said: 

"Speed,  I  want  to  know  what  it  will  cost  for  a  single  bed- 
stead, mattress  and  a  pillow.  I've  got  a  big  buffalo  robe,  which 
I  use  in  the  cutter  when  I  am  obliged  to  travel;  and  that  robe 
will  do  for  a  covering  at  nights  on  my  bed.  I  have  two  rooms 
at  my  shack.  The  front  room  is  all  the  law  office  I  need,  and  I 
can  make  a  bedroom  of  the  back  room  and  thus  save  rent.  Times 
are  awful  hard  and  if  I  can  buy  a  little  bed  and  outfit,  with 
time  to  pay  for  it,  I  can  save  quite  a  bit  of  money  in  rent  in  the 
course  of  the  year." 

That  little  statement  told  of  poverty  and  of  a  struggle  for 
existence  without  thinking  of  comfort,  much  less  of  luxury. 
Abraham  Lincoln  was  poor;  yes,  pitifully  poor. 

10 


WHEN  LINCOLN  MOVED 

After  some  conversation  on  the  subject  Speed  told  the  young 
lawyer,  whom  he  liked  very  much  and  for  whom  he  had  a  special 
regard,  because  of  his  having  been  born  in  Kentucky;  for  Ken- 
tuckians  are  clannish,  always  have  been,  and  may  they  always 
continue  to  be,  neighborly  clannish;  so  Speed  liked  Lincoln  and 
told  him  that  his  clerk,  the  young  man  from  Louisville,  was 
going  back  home  on  the  following  day,  which  was  Saturday ;  that 
he  was  to  be  married  and  remain  in  Kentucky.  Speed  then 
asked  the  poor  young  lawyer  to  go  upstairs  with  him,  and  Lin- 
coln accompanied  him. 

The  second  story  (and  it  was  the  top  story,  too)  contained 
hundreds  of  barrels  and  boxes  of  merchandise  of  all  sorts. 
Threads  were  strung  all  around  the  walls  and  ceilings,  and  they 
carried  dried  apples  and  dried  peaches  for  sale  and  use  during 
the  winter.  In  the  center,  near  the  sheetiron  "drum"  which  sur- 
rounded the  stovepipe  and  radiated  heat  for  that  upper  floor, 
there  was  a  big  bedstead,  with  feather  bed  and  feather  pillows, 
and  also  plenty  of  bedding.  Speed  said : 

"If  you  can  get  along  here,  Abe,  you  can  have  this  place,  rent 
free,  until  you  get  better  fixed.  Take  the  place,  save  rent,  keep 
warm,  be  comfortable,  and  take  what  you  want  to  eat  out  of  the 
store ;  and  pay  me,  boy,  when  you  get  good  and  ready." 

Gravely  and  sincerely  Lincoln  thanked  Speed  for  the  offer, 
knelt  down  beside  the  bed  for  a  couple  of  minutes  and  went 
downstairs.  There  was  no  telephone  to  use  in  those  days.  There 
was  no  transfer  company.  Drays  were  few  and  far  between  on 
that  day  when  Lincoln  wanted  to  move  his  household  goods. 
But  he  managed  to  pack  up  all  his  belongings  that  afternoon  and 
move.  Inside  of  half  an  hour  after  leaving  the  store  Abraham 
Lincoln  came  back,  carrying  across  his  shoulders  an  old-fashioned 
pair  of  saddle  bags,  such  as  were  carried  on  horses'  backs  back 
of  the  saddle.  Lincoln  passed  through  the  store,  went  upstairs, 
walked  to  the  bed  and  was  heard  to  drop  the  saddle  bags.  Then 
he  ran  lightly  downstairs,  went  to  the  big  cannon  stove,  sat  down 
in  an  old,  well-whittled  chair,  poked  his  big  feet  up  against  the 
railing  around  the  stove,  looked  at  the  proprietor  and  said : 

"Well,  Speed,  I've  moved!" 

EXTRAVAGANCE  OF  HENRY  CLAY 

In  the  early  morning  of  the  day  of  the  Great  Reception  at 
Arlington  the  obscure  Congressman  was  downstairs,  and  at  the 
newsstand  of  the  hotel  he  had  paid  five  big  round  copper  pennies 
for  the  Weekly  Patriot,  published  by  Major  Beverly  Tucker,  an 
eminent  Virginian.  By  his  side  there  came  an  elderly  gentleman, 
as  tall  as  himself,  and  as  homely,  too;  but  of  a  different  type. 

11 


The  young  man  immediately  recognized,  and  modestly  introduced 
himself  to  the  most  popular  man  in  the  United  States;  a  man 
whose  personal  popularity  was  never  equaled  in  political  affairs 
until  fifty  years  had  elapsed,  and  Theodore  Roosevelt  stood  in  the 
spot-light.  The  young  man  said: 

"Please  pardon  me,  Sir,  but  I  know  you  by  sight ;  and  am  one 
of  your  countless  thousands  of  admirers.  Having  been  born  in 
old  Kentucky  you  will  pardon  me,  I  am  sure,  for  introducing 
myself  to  Senator  Henry  Clay.  My  name  is  Lincoln.  I  was 
born  in  Hardin  County." 

Like  all  men  truly  great  the  distinguished  statesman  from 
Kentucky  was  approachable.  With  kindly  geniality  he  greeted 
Mr.  Lincoln,  and  at  once  launched  into  the  narration  of  one  of 
the  numberless  stories  for  the  telling  of  which  he  was  justly 
noted.  Clasping  the  ample  wage-earning  hand  of  the  man  from 
Illinois,  Senator  Clay  said: 

"Your  name  reminds  me  of  my  enthusiastic  friend  Bill  Linkins 
of  Breathitt  County,  who  has  told  to  hundreds  of  people  about 
his  meeting  with  me  on  an  Ohio  river  steamboat.  He  tells  all  of 
them  that  I  am  a  good  fellow,  but  that  I  am  frightfully  extrava- 
gant. He  proves  his  story  by  showing  to  everybody  the  silver- 
handled  tooth  brush  that  I  gave  him  as  a  present;  and  I  must 
admit  that  it  was  an  expensive  present. 

"The  big  mountaineer  came  into  the  wash  room  of  the  Ohio 
river  steamboat  one  morning  and  noisily  washed  his  be-whiskered 
face,  sputtering  profusely  as  he  held  double  handsfull  of  water 
before  his  mouth  and  nostrils.  He  noticed  me  combing  my  head, 
and  borrowed  my  white  bone  hair  comb.  I  gave  him  the  comb 
to  remember  me  by;  and  had  barely  done  so  when  he  asked  me 
to  loan  him  my  tooth  brush  also.  I  cheerfully  complied,  and, 
when  he  handed  it  back  to  me  I  made  him  a  present  of  it,  telling 
him  to  show  it  to  his  friends  as  a  memento  of  Henry  Clay.  He 
does  so,  and  grows  eloquent  over  my  generosity,  liberality,  and 
extravagance." 

Not  only  Senator  Hannibal  Hamlin  and  his  friend  Representa- 
tive Stephens  were  late  comers;  for,  as  is  customary  even  until 
this  day,  there  are  men  and  women  whose  heart-beats  are  so  slow 
and  so  irregular  that  they  cannot  learn  the  value  of  time.  More- 
over, those  unfortunates  quite  naturally  hate  the  men  and  women 
who  are  favored  by  nature  with  perfect  physiques  and  perfect 
mental  machinery ;  who  are  also  blessed  with  educational  training 
which  impels  promptness  and  reliability. 

Until  this  day  we  have  millions  of  pretentious  men  and  women 
who  falsely  proclaim  themselves  to  be  ladies  and  gentlemen,  who 
are  neither,  for  they  deliberately  lie  and  lie  and  lie.  Their 

12 


promises  are  worded  "I'll  try"  to  be  there,  or  "I'll  try"  to  do 
as  you  wish,  when  they  do  not  intend  to  try,  and  they  do  not  try. 
They  are  habitual  liars,  and  double  dealers  in  falsehood. 

For,  when  chided  for  their  falsehoods,  they  always  answer  with 
another  lie,  saying:  "I  was  too  busy;"  when  they  had  not  been 
busy  at  all.  Graduates  of  the  schools  of  U.  S.  Grant,  of  Robert 
E.  Lee,  of  Nelson  A.  Miles  and  of  John  J.  Pershing,  are  always 
on  time,  and  always  keep  their  engagements. 

On  the  occasion  of  the  great  reception  at  Arlington  there  were 
no  graduates  of  those  military  schools ;  and  so,  there  were  many 
late  arrivals.  But,  dilatoriness  was  customary,  and  nobody  cared 
or  even  noticed  the  absentees,  until  they  arrived  with  excuses. 
Some  of  those  excuses  were  based  on  good  foundations. 

Within  an  hour  after  the  beginning  and  ending  of  the  formal 
reception  a  most  distinguished  gathering  thronged  the  great  and 
grand  Portico,  each  gentleman  having  his  own  pipe  and  canvas 
bag  of  tobacco ;  or,  having  Pennsylvania  stogie  cigars  or  the 
more  pretentious  makes  then  coming  into  the  markets.  More- 
over, each  gentleman  had  his  mint  julep,  excepting  Mr.  Custis 
and  a  very  few  others  who  preferred  small  glasses  of  wine.  It 
was  in  view  of  this  assemblage  of  great  men  who  were  then 
makers  of  great  events,  that  a  belated  big  carryall  arrived  bringing 
Judge  and  Mrs.  Wickham  from  their  estate  west  of  Mount  Ver- 
non;  and  as  the  country  roadways  in  the  spring  time  are  always 
rough  and  frequently  impassable,  it  was  wonderful  that  they  had 
been  able  to  come  at  all,  despite  the  fact  that  they  were  among 
the  nearest  and  dearest  of  neighbors  in  those  days  when  the  in- 
dividuals of  neighborhoods  were  dwelling  apart  many  miles. 
Guests  who  had  not  known  the  Wickhams  were  greatly  surprised 
to  note  in  the  seat  between  Judge  and  Mother  Wickham 

*      ' 

A  GREAT  BIG  BEAUTIFUL  DOLL, 

and  it  was  so  well  dressed,  so  carefully  tailored,  with  such  wonder- 
fully long  golden  curls,  the  people  were  astounded ;  and  the  more 
so,  when,  as  soon  as  Judge  and  Mother  Wickham  had  alighted, 
the  big  beautiful  doll  baby  came  to  life  and  moved.  Yes,  it  more 
than  moved,  for  it  sprang  out  onto  the  Portico  steps  and  fairly 
flew  over  to  Grand-pa  Custis  and  almost  over-turned  that  gracious 
and  incomparable  host.  Grand-pa  Custis  took  up  the  little  beauty 
and  held  her  in  his  arms  until  Senator  Mason  of  Virginia  took 
her,  and  then  loaned  her  to  President  Taylor,  who  said  that  she 
seemed  a  little  angel  that  had  come  down  with  the  falling  stars 
of  the  previous  night.  She  knew  the  great  big  Christian  Goliath, 
reached  out  her  arms  to  him.  and  General  Scott  lifted  her  up  and 
seated  her  upon  one  of  his  broad  shoulders,  and  then  everybody 
could  see  lovely  little  Charlotte  Wickham.  the  12-year-old  wonder 

13 


girl  of  eastern  Virginia;  and  they  saw  the  deep  yellow  golden> 
curls  that  were  hanging  and  glistening  away  below  her  waist ; 
such  curls  as  can  only  be  seen,  usually,  in  the  Scandinavian  coun- 
tries where  the  girls  grow  up  on  the  hill  sides  with  the  sheep 
flocks ;  and  they  saw  such  ruddy  red  cheeks  as  are  only  worn  by 
peaches  in  full  bloom;  and  Charlotte  smiled  at  everybody  and 
showed  to  all  of  them  such  tremendously  large  and  well  propor- 
tioned intelligent  blue  eyes  as  one  expects  to  see  only  in  old  Ire- 
land "where  the  river  Shannon  flows."  And  little  Charlotte  gave 
to  all  of  them  such  an  honestly  innocent,  interested  and  interest- 
ing baby  stare,  that  immediately,  everybody  loved  Charlotte 
Wickham. 

As  she  sat  there  perched  upon  the  shoulder  of  the  greatest 
soldier  of  our  country,  with  a  little  arm  around  his  head  and  neck, 
as  she  beat  a  tattoo  on  his  broad  breast  with  her  white  slippered 
feet,  the  little  assemblage  noted  the  pretty  white  silk  pantalettes 
with  ankle  flounces,  the  graceful  movements  of  the  energetic 
little  marvel,  and  they  saw  Charlotte  Wickham  just  as  she  ap- 
peared a  few  weeks  later,  saying  to  Mother  Wickham 

"I'm  to  be  Queen  of  the  May,  Mother; 
I'm  to  be  Queen  of  the  May." 

And,  peeking  through  the  stone  balustrades  of  the  Portico,, 
observers  could  see  the  admiring,  worshipful  eyes  of  the  big  boy, 
the  second  son  of  Robert  E.  and  Mary  Ann  Lee;  eyes  that  looked 
in  wonder  and  amazement  as  one  might  view  in  some  tabernacle, 
the  Holy  of  Holies ;  and  thus,  during  all  his  tesselated  after  life, 
William  Henry  Fitzhugh  Lee  looked  upon  Charlotte  Wickham. 
The  first  of  the  happiest  moments  in  his  recollection  was  the  day 
when  little  Charlotte  called  him  by  the  nickname  of  his  home, 
the  name  by  which  his  father  called  him;  and  after  that  day  he 
was  always  "Rooney  Lee"  in  the  vocabulary  of  little  Charlotte 
Wickham. 

And,  just  think  of  the  pernicious,  misleading  hands  of  fate  that 
feed  us  with  hope  and  give  to  all  of  us  the  poison  drink  of  dis- 
appointment. It  was  only  in  the  natural  routine  of  destiny  and 
fate  that  Charlotte  should  admire  her  playmate,  trust  him,  rely 
on  him  for  defense  if  needed,  believe  in  his  integrity  and  almost 
love  him  in  full  partnership  with  his  admiration  of  her ;  but, 
Charlotte  knew  that,  somehow,  it  was  not  Rooney,  but  another 
whose  coming  made  her  heart  go  pit-a-pat  and  made  her  breasts 
defy  her  control  as  they  heaved  faster,  breaths  that  were  close 
imitations  of  sighs;  and,  her  heart  did  not  go  pit-a-pat  nor  her 
breast  heave  the  faster  nor  her  breath  fade  into  gasps,  when 
Rooney  came.  And  yet,  she  did  love  Rooney;  just,  honor  bright,. 

14 


a  little  bit;  but  to  Rooney,  Charlotte  was  not  a  thing  of  his  life  a 
part ;  she  was  his  whole  existence. 

Rooney  Lee  did  not  have  the  vocabulary  to  express  his  wor- 
shipful admiration ;  nor  did  he  have  the  courage  to  even  attempt 
an  expression  of  adoration,  for  it  requires  assurance  as  well  as 
courage  to  go  to  a  sacred  shrine  and  ask  for  selfish  possession. 
And  so,  Rooney  "stood  outside  the  door"  of  her  heart  and  did  not 
dare  to  say  a  word;  and  yet  his  heart  throbbed  with  hope  for 
the  future;  the  future  which  is  so  distant  from  boyhood's  vision. 
Rooney  only  knew 

"The  smiles  and  tears  of  boyhood  years 

The  thoughts  of  love,  unspoken." 
The  hopes  and  fears  of  manhood  years 
Ambition's  temples  broken. 

To  Rooney,  Charlotte  was  incarnate  perfection.  To  Charlotte, 
Rooney  was  a  worthy  descendant  of  Martha  Washington,  a  credi- 
table son  of  Colonel  Robert  E.  Lee,  a  very  obedient  swain  and 
social  subject  that  she  could  command,  and  trust;  and  she  liked 
him  better  than  she  liked  the  other  boys  that  she  knew.  But, 
before  we  analyse  these  children,  let  us  take  up  the  next  page  of 
our  history  which  is  replete  with  interesting  moving  pictures. 
One  of  the  best  of  those  scenes  is  that  of  the 

INAUGURATION  OF  PRESIDENT  ZACHARY  TAYLOR 

which  occurred  on  March  5,  1849.  It  must  be  remembered  that 
there  were  not  more  than  twenty  thousand  inhabitants  of  Wash- 
ington City  at  that  time ;  but  more  than  five  thousand  prosperous 
people  who  could  afford  to  travel  came  from  all  parts  of  the 
country  to  witness  the  induction  into  office  of  a  new  president; 
and  one  so  wonderfully  popular.  In  the  throng  that  came  from 
the  western  and  southern  frontiers  there  appeared  the  Texas  man 
who  desired  to  be  the  "Minister  to  Dahomey." 

Great  crowds,  intense  enthusiasm,  noisy  demonstrations,  all  in 
beautiful  weather,  characterized  the  day  of  the  inauguration  of 
the  Mexican  war  hero  on  that  first  Monday  in  March,  1849.  The 
ceremonies  had  been  deferred  one  day,  because  the  fourth  day 
of  March  came  on  Sunday  and  President  Polk  remained  in  the 
White  House  until  the  evening  of  that  day. 

Excepting  only  the  wonderful  executive  mansion,  there  were 
only  two  public  buildings  completed  in  Washington  City  at  that 
time.  The  Patent  Office  covered  an  entire  block  of  ground  be- 
tween F  and  G  Streets  on  the  south  and  north  sides  of  the  build- 
ing; Seventh  and  Ninth  Streets  being  the  boundary  lines  east 
and  west.  On  the  south  side  of  F  Street,  extending  to  E  Street 

15 


was  another  building  worth  while.  It  was  only  half  as  large 
as  the  Patent  Office  building,  and  extended  from  Seventh  to 
Eighth  Streets,  as  it  does  until  this  day.  It  occupied  the  site 
of  Blodgett's  Hotel,  a  large  brick  structure  which  had  been  used 
by  the  Congress  after  the  British  vandalism  of  1814.  The  new 
marble  building  was  occupied  by  the  Postoffice  Department. 

On  Capitol  Hill  there  were  two  buildings,  one  hundred  feet 
apart,  and  connected  by  a  covered  wooden  bridge.  Those  two 
buildings  formed  the  nucleus  of  the  magnificent  Capitol  of  sub- 
sequent years ;  a  building  which  is  today,  thanks  to  Architect 
Elliott  Woods,  the  most  beautiful  and  imposing  Capitol  in  the 
world. 

On  Seventeenth  Street,  one  block  west  of  the  White  House  and 
south  of  Pennsylvania  Avenue,  there  were  two  large  brick  build- 
ings, each  sixty  by  one  hundred  feet  in  dimensions,  and  three 
stories  high.  The  one  facing  Pennsylvania  Avenue  was  occu- 
pied by  the  War  Department ;  the  other  one  by  the  Navy  Depart- 
ment ;  and,  on  that  site  today  stands  the  immense  marble  struc- 
ture which  is  known  as  the  State  War  and  Navy  Department 
building. 

On  the  corner  of  Fourteenth  and  S  Streets,  there  is  a  large 
brick  building  which  has  been  used  for  many  years  as  an  orphan 
asylum.  It  was  occupied  by  the  Department  of  State  previous 
to  1877,  and  was  "away  out  in  the  country." 

That  three-story  brick  building  is  an  enlargement,  twice  the 
size  of  the  State  Department  building  of  1849 ;  and  it  was  located 
on  the  ground  now  covered  by  the  north  wing  of  the  modern 
Treasury  Department.  Public  buildings  in  Washington  were  few 
and  far  between  when  General  Taylor  was  inaugurated.  More- 
over, the  inaugural  procession  marched  on  dirt  roads,  for  there 
was  not  one  paved  nor  improved  roadway  in  the  city;  improved 
by  other  than  grading  and  leveling  processes. 

The  sidewalks  between  Capitol  Hill  and  the  White  House 
were  improved  by  the  sprinkling  and  spreading  of  ashes  and 
oyster  shells;  the  leveling  processes  having  been  accomplished 
by  the  leather  soles  of  the  pegged  shoes,  which  were  the  only 
foot-wear  of  the  people  of  that  day  and  generation.  So,  Zachary 
Taylor  was  inducted  into  a  great  office,  as  executive  head  of  a 
great  people,  but  the  Capitol  city  that  was  seen  and  known  by 
Grover  Cleveland,  William  McKinley  and  their  successors  was 
not  known  to  Zachary  Taylor.  Indeed,  an  imagination  of  such 
a  Capitol  city  would  have  been  to  him  like  "dreaming  of  castles 
in  Spain." 

At  11  o'clock  on  inauguration  day  General  Taylor  entered  an 
open  carriage  at  Willard's  Hall,  on  F  Street.  That  was  a  very 
large  brick  structure  with  marble  pillared  front.  It  was  con- 

16 


nected  by  a  secret  passage  with  the  old  Willard  Hotel,  where 
General  Taylor  was  a  guest.  At  the  head  of 

A   LARGE   PROCESSION, 

for  those  days,  General  Taylor  proceeded  to  Fifteenth  Street  and 
then  down  Pennsylvania  Avenue  to  Twelfth  Street,  the  location 
of  Irving's  Hotel;  on  the  corner  afterwards  occupied  by  the  Kirk- 
wood  House,  where  Vice  President  Andrew  Johnson  resided  and 
where  he  took  the  oath  of  office  as  President  in  1865 ;  and  there 
President  Polk  came  forth,  entered  the  carriage,  and  rode  to  the 
Capitol  with  his  successor.  There  the  oath  of  office  was  ad- 
ministered by  Chief  Justice  Taney.  The  newly  inaugurated 
President  read  a  carefully  prepared  address.  Accompanied  by 
ex-President  Polk,  who  entered  the  carriage  with  him,  President 
Taylor  again  headed  the  procession,  which  proceeded  to  the 
White  House,  where  ex-President  Polk  remained  for  dinner. 
There  were  three  inaugural  balls  that  night,  each  one  of  them 
being  visited  by  President  Taylor  and  Vice  President  Fillmore. 
For  the  first  time  in  our  history 

THE   WEST  POINT  CADETS 

appeared  in  an  inaugural  procession,  and  many  hundreds  of  the 
visitors  to  Washington  came  particularly  to  see  those  young 
gentlemen  in  their  matchless  manoeuvres.  With  official  permis- 
sion those  young  gentlemen  attended  the  inaugural  balls  in  the 
evening.  On  the  following  day  the  corps  of  cadets  returned  to 
West  Point,  although  a  few,  with  homes  in  the  vicinity,  were 
given  brief  leaves  of  absence.  Thus  it  happened  that  one  of  those 
cadets,  the  tall,  broad-shouldered,  athletic,  handsome,  popular 
preparatory  Cadet,  George  Washington  Custis  Lee,  on  leave  of 
absence  for  three  days,  was  at  his  home  in  Arlington  Mansion 
during  the  great  reception  given  in  honor  of  his  father,  Colonel 
Robert  E.  Lee ;  and  thus  it  happened  that  he  came  upon  the  Por- 
tico as  the  distinguished  gentlemen  guests  gathered  around  their 
host,  his  grand-father,  George  Washington  Parke  Custis :  and 
the  wonderful  little  one,  Charlotte  Wickham,  who  was  to  be 
Queen  of  the  May,  rushed  pell  mell  into  his  arms.  She  accom- 
panied him  into  the  Mansion  to  join  the  ladies  there.  Then  the 
handsome  and  agreeable  host  of  the  occasion  told 

THE   STORY   OF   ARLINGTON 

when  President  Taylor  requested  him  to  do  so,  asking :  "Will  you 
kindly  tell  us  something  of  the  history  of  your  estate,  how  and 
when  you  built  the  mansion?  Who  was  the  architect,  and  who 
drew  the  plans?" 

17 


"This  entire  magnificent  little  kingdom  of  6000  acres,"  said 
Mr.  Custis,  "was  presented  to  Robert  Howsen  by  Governor  Wil- 
liam Berkeley  of  Virginia,  without  money  and  without  price.  In 
that  great  land  grant  the  modern  city  of  Alexandria  and  the 
splendid  Mount  Vernon  Estate  were  included.  The  Governor 
of  the  original  Colony  was  supreme,  and  the  acreage  of  the 
Colony  was  limitless,  as  you  know,  because  out  of  that  Colony 
the  sovereign  people  have  since  carved  several  great  common- 
wealths of  the  republic." 

"Did  you  or  your  father  buy  it  from  Howsen?"  inquired  the 
President. 

"No,  Mr.  President,  Howsen  sold  it  to  John  Alexander  for 
six  hogsheads  of  tobacco." 

"Do  you  know  the  date  of  the  original  grant?" 

"Yes,  Mr.  President,  the  Howsen  grant  was  dated  October  21, 
in  the  year  1669.  Howsen  sold  it  for  the  tobacco  to  Alexander, 
and  it  remained  in  the  Alexander  family,  by  entailment,  until 
Christmas  Day,  1778,  when  my  father,  John  Parke  Custis,  bought 
eleven  hundred  acres  from  Gerald  Alexander,  and  paid  him 
eleven  thousand  pounds  in  cash.  That  would  be  fifty-five  thou- 
sand of  our  American  dollars." 

"Your  father  invested  a  large  amount  of  money  in  a  wilder- 


ness." 


"Yes,  Mr.  President,  it  was  a  wilderness  then;  but  it  is  de- 
veloping into  the  most  valuable  property  in  our  country." 

"Were  there  any  residents  on  the  property?" 

"Yes,  Mr.  President,  on  Four  Mile  Run  my  father  and  mother 
had  a  spacious  mansion;  but,  my  father  died  in  1781.  My  mother 
went  to  her  original  home  at  Mount  Airy,  Maryland,  and  I  went 
to  live  with  my  grand-mother,  Martha  Washington ;  for  I  became 
the  adopted  son  of  General  Washington;  a  good  father  whose 
memory  I  reverence  with  love  that  is  almost  idolatrous." 

"Where  did  you  get  the  name  of  Arlington?" 

"That,  Mr.  President,  was  the  name  given  to  the  estate  in  honor 
of  the  memory  of  Henry,  the  Earl  of  Arlington,  to  whom,  with 
Lord  Culpeper,  the  grant  of  all  of  Old  Virginia  was  given  by 
King  Charles,  the  Second.  This  great  estate  was  named  after 
that  Earl  of  Arlington." 

"But,  Mr.  Custis,  please  tell  us  now  about  the  Mansion." 

"Very  well,  Mr.  President,  it  is  not  a  pleasant  memory,  but 
when  my  grand-mother,  Martha  Washington,  was  called  higher, 
there  was  no  home  for  me  at  Mount  Vernon.  I  went  to  Four 
Mile  Run,  and  from  there  I  wandered  afoot  and  horseback  all 
over  the  estate  until  I  had  finally  chosen  this  site  for  my  home." 

"All  this  is  very  interesting,  and  ought  to  be  given  to  American 
history.  Now,  if  you  please,  tell  us  about  the  architect?" 

18 


"Mr.  President,  at  the  age  of  twenty-two  years,  I  really  be- 
lieved that  I  was  myself  the  architect.  In  later  years  I  have 
learned  that  I  was  only  an  assistant  to  the  real  architect." 

"That  seems  rather  strange  and  a  bit  mysterious." 

•"Well,  Mr.  President,  after  selecting  this  site  I  went  on  horse- 
back to  Charlottesville,  Virginia,  and  was  there  welcomed  by 
£.  true  friend  of  General  Washington.  I  remained  there  several 
•days  with  the  genius  of  democracy,  Thomas  Jefferson;  and  he 
was  the  real  architect  of  this  wonderful  mansion." 

"Day  after  day  ex-President  Jefferson  entertained  me  in  his 
library,  that  great  collection  which  was  incomparable  on  this 
continent;  the  library  which  afterwards  formed  the  nucleus  and 
basis  of  the  Congressional  Library.  He  showed  me  all  of  his 
wisely  selected  volumes,  paintings,  engravings,  and  pencilings. 
One  afternoon  Mr.  Jefferson  said  to  me: 

"  'Please  look  at  this  Temple  of  Theseus,  at  Athens.  All  day 
that  has  been  prominent  in  my  mind.  I  have  been  wondering  if 
that  would  not  just  about  suit  your  ideas  of  an  outline  for  the 
mansion  we  have  been  trying  to  design.' 

"It  was  a  mingling  of  friendship  for  Washington  and  for  his 
adopted  son  that  led  Mr.  Jefferson  to  choose  that  design,  and  to 
make  me  accept  it  as  my  own  by  his  skillful  diplomacy  and  won- 
derful tact.  Then  he  asked  me  to  let  him  help  me  with  my  draw- 
ings of  the  inside  of  that  great  temple.  When  I  came  away  Mr. 
Jefferson  came  out  with  me  and,  after  I  was  mounted,  he  said: 

"  'It  was  very  kind  of  you,  my  young  friend,  to  come  all  the 
way  over  here  to  see  me,  and  it  was  a  great  compliment  that 
you  have  paid  me  in  permitting  me  to  see  the  wonderful  mansion 
as  you  developed  it  all  in  my  home.  I  am  sure  that  the  bride 
will  love  you  all  the  more  when  she  sees  what  an  architectural 
treasure  you  have  designed  for  her.' 

"And,  boy  like,  Mr.  President,  I  really  believed  that  I  had  done 
it  all,  myself." 

"Well,  you  did  the  designing  yourself,  didn't  you?" 
"No,  Mr.  President,  I  did  not.     Fully  a  score  of  years  went 
by  before  I  became  fully  aware  of  the  fact  that  Thomas  Jefferson 
was  the  architect,  and  that  I  was  only  a  very  crude  assistant." 

"Do  you  have  many  visitors  on  this  side  of  the  river?" 
"Yes,  Mr.  President,  everybody  of  eminence  that  visits  Wash- 
ington City,  visits  me.    All  of  the  friends  of  Washington  know 
that  this  mansion  was  built,  largely,  to  take  the  place  of  Mount 
Vernon  where  public  receptions  were  almost  continuous." 
"Have  you  entertained  any  President  heretofore?" 
"Yes,  Mr.  President,  excepting  President  Washington  who  had 
passed  away,  and  President  Adams,  who  never  came  here  after 

19 


the  close  of  his  tertn,  I  have  entertained  every  President  since 
the  beginning  of  the  Federal  Government." 

Here  Colonel  Lee  turned  towards  the  big  front  door  of  the 
mansion  where  his  wife  appeared,  calling  "Robert,  Robert,  dear," 
and  signaling  with  her  finger  tips  for  him  to  come  within  and 
meet  with  the  ladies,  and  Colonel  Lee,  bowing  and  saluting  the 
President  and  General  Scott,  responded  to  the  summons  and  en- 
tered the  mansion,  where  he  was  greeted  by  all  of  the  ladies,  as 
a  war  hero  should  be  greeted;  but  the  others  remained  on  the 
portico,  as  Mr.  Custis  continued  his  story. 

"What  tent  is  that  old-fashioned  one  over  there?  Is  that  a 
play  house  for  your  grand-sons  ?" 

"No,  Mr.  President,  that  tent  is  never  pitched  on  the  lawn 
except  on  such  rare  occasions  as  the  present  one.  That  is  the 
original 

'TENT  OF  WASHINGTON,' 

and  I  took  it  from  Mount  Vernon  surreptitiously.  That  is  my 
most  valued  possession. 

"In  the  year  1824  I  pitched  on  the  lawn  the  'tent  of  Wash- 
ington,' because  President  James  Monroe  visited  me,  and  brought 
with  him  the  Marquis  de  Lafayette.  That  venerable  friend  of 
General  Washington  was  my  guest  for  a  number  of  days.  As 
soon  as  he  and  President  Monroe  alighted  from  their  horses  and 
stood  on  the  portico.  Lafayette  smiled  with  considerable  interest 
as  he  exclaimed : 

"  'I  stood  beside  General  Washington  inside  of  the  entrance  of 
that  tent,  when  Lord  Cornwallis  surrendered  at  Yorktown.'  " 

"Had  Lafayette  known  you  before?" 

"Yes,  Mr.  President,  he  knew  me,  although  I  did  not  remem- 
ber having  met  with  him.  After  telling  President  Monroe  that  he 
had  seen  the  tent  before  and  recognized  it,  he  turned  to  me  and 
said  : 

"  'Mr.  Custis  I  have  a  very  pleasant  memory  of  you  when 
you  were  a  very  small  gentleman,  with  a  cockade  and  a  big 
feather,  as  you  stood  on  the  veranda  at  Mount  Vernon,  holding 
with  one  hand  the  fingers  of  your  grand-mother,  the  beautiful  and 
peerless  Martha  Washington,  while  with  the  other  little  hand  you 
clung  to  one  of  the  fingers  of  the  great  and  good  and  gentle  but 
powerful  General  Washington.'  " 

Senator  Seward  of  New  York  came  forward  at  this  moment, 
bringing  a  large  and  well-cushioned  rocking  chair  which  he  placed 
so  that  the  venerable  host  could  be  seated  easily,  and  he  said : 

"I  beg  your  pardon,  Mr.  Custis,  but  I  went  after  this  favorite 
chair  of  yours  without  asking  your  permission,  for  a  double  pur- 

20 


pose.  I  would  not  interrupt  and  ask  for  a  servant  to  bring  it  to 
you;  and  I  wanted  to  have  the  personal  pleasure  of  rendering  a 
little  service  to  one  whom  all  Americans  appreciate,  respect  and 
admire.  Please  be  seated,  sir."  ; 

"Thank  you,  Senator  Seward,"  replied  Mr.  Custis,  and  then  he 
signaled  his  body  servant,  saying:  "Moses,  as  a  precaution  I 
ought  to  have  my  Paisley  shawl  while  seated  in  this  afternoon 
air.  By  the  way,  Mr.  President,  I  feel  snow  in  my  rheumatic 
ankle,  and  that  is  a  matchless  forecaster  of  the  weather  of  the 


morrow." 


To  the  congenial  gathering  on  the  portico  President  Taylor 
then  said:  "Now  that  Mr.  Custis  is  made  comfortable,  thanks  to 
Senator  Seward,  I  am  going  to  ask  our  wonderful  host  to  tell 
us  some  more  things  that  we  ought  to  know,  and  that  history 
ought  to  record." 

Turning  to  the  seated  host,  and  courteously  bowing  to  him. 
President  Taylor  said : 

"Undoubtedly,  Mr.  Custis,  you  are  the  only  person  living  that 
really  knew  George  Washington." 

"Yes,  Mr.  President,  only  one  ever  knew  him  better." 

"And  who  was  that?" 

"My  sainted  grandmother,  Martha  Washington." 

"Out  of  your  memories  of  home  life  can  you  tell  us  who  was 
the  Boss  at  Mount  Vernon?" 

"No,  Mr.  President,  I  cannot,  for  there  was  no  Boss  there." 

"But,  the  General  was  Master  there,  wasn't  he  ?" 

"Yes,  Mr.  President,  Master  of  the  slaves  and  of  the  estate. 
But,  you  must  comprehend  that  nobody  ever  was  Boss  to  George 
Washington,  and  he  was  never  a  Boss  to  anyone." 

"You  remember  him  well,  don't  you?" 

"That  can  only  be  answered  in  Yankee  fashion,  Mr.  President." 

"How  is  that?" 

"By  asking  another  question,  Mr.  President.  Do  you  remember 
your  first  love?" 

From  the  portico  there  pealed  forth  lively  laughter  which 
echoed  in  the  trees;  and  the  President  joining  in  the  hearty 
applause  of  the  sally  of  the  aged  gentleman,  said : 

"Please  tell  us  about  the  great  man,  as  you  knew  him." 

"Well,  sir,  speaking  of  a  boss  or  a  master,  you  must  know 
that  George  Washington  received  and  obeyed  the  commands  of 
but  one  American  officer.  After  that,  he  always  commanded." 

"Who  was  his  American  commander?" 

"It  was  Colonel  Joshua  Fry,  founder  of  the  chair  of  Mathe- 
matics at  William  and  Mary  College.  When  the  First  Virginia 
Regiment  marched  to  the  relief  of  Fort  DuQuesne,  it  was  under 
the  command  of  Colonel  Joshua  Fry;  and  his  lieutenant-colonel 
was  a  Virginia  gentleman  named  George  Washington." 

21 


"Did  Colonel  Fry  leave  a  military  name  for  history?" 
"Yes,  Mr.  President,  Colonel  Fry  died  at  Fort  Cumberland, 
on  the  march  to  Pittsburgh.    The  command  then  devolved  upon 
Colonel  Washington,  and  he  carved  upon  a  great  oak  tree  this 
tribute : 

"  'Beneath  this  tree  lie  the  remains  of  the  pure,  the  great, 
the  good,  the  noble  Col.  Joshua  Fry.' 

"That  tribute  was  overgrown  by  the  bark,  and  the  tree  was  lost 
in  what  was  then  a  wilderness.  But,  General  Washington  often 
spoke  of  his  only  commander,  and  always  with  great  kindness 
and  respectful  admiration.  It  is  too  bad  that  the  tree  could  not 
have  been  preserved." 

Readers  will  remember  the  great  truth  set  forth  by  one  of  the 
great  dramatists,  in  the  words : 

"The  pen  is  mightier  than  the  sword," 

and  it  must  be  said  here,  parentically,  but  with  some  degree  of 
pride  that,  although  the  tree  has  disappeared  and  with  it  the 
inscription  carved  by  the  sword  of  Washington,  that  tribute  is 
now  inscribed  upon  the  permanent  page  by  an  unpretentious  and 
obscure  descendant,  so  that  history  will  restore  to  mankind  the 
tribute  of  Washington: 

"Beneath  this  tree  lie  the  remains  of  the  pure,  the  great, 
the  good,  the  noble  Col.  Joshua  Fry." 

. 

Inasmuch  as  the  genial  host  was  in  willing  mood,  and  the  other 
guests  were  intensely  interested,  President  Taylor  continued, 
saying : 

"As  there  was  neither  Boss  nor  Master  at  Mount  Vernon,  you 
have  memories  of  a  happy  home,  haven't  vou?" 

"Yes,  Mr.  President,  Mount  Vernon  was  a  home  where  Joy 
was  duty  and  Love  was  law.  My  venerated  grandmother,  Martha 
Washington,  worshiped  God ;  but  her  husband  was  her  shrine." 

"There  was  one,  however,  not  an  American  officer,  who  com- 
manded George  Washington,  and  whom  he  obeyed  cheerfully  and 
loyally. 

"Tell  us  about  that  masterful  man,  for  we  have  never  heard 
of  him." 

"No,  Mr.  President,  his  domination  has  not  been  recorded  by 
any  writer.  Indeed,  you  are  really  the  first  to  know  of  him. 
When  he  was  only  two  years  of  age  I  have  heard  him  calling: 
'Father,'  and  have  seen,  as  I  now  see  in  vivid  memory,  the 
greatest  man  in  the  whole  wide  world  obediently  answer  the  call. 
He  never  failed  to  answer  the  command:  'I  want  you,  Daddy. 
He  always  came,  and  took  the  little  boy  in  his  arms.  Many  an 
hour  he  walked  about  the  vast  lawn  and  on  the  spacious  veranda, 

22 


carrying  that  little  fellow  in  his  arms,  caressing  him  and  answer- 
ing questions  that  taxed  even  his  boundless  stores  of  knowledge. 

"He  would  answer  the  call  of  the  voice  of  a  child,  whether 
it  cried :  'I  want  my  Father,'  or  if  it  shrilly  cried,  from  the  corner 
of  the  Mansion:  'Papa  can't  find  me.' 

"Not  infrequently,  I  may  say  all  too  frequently,  the  command 
rang  out  impatiently :  'Pop,  why  don't  you  come  to  me  ?' 

"Concerning  no  one  else  could  the  Scripture  have  been  ever 
so  practically  applied,  for  indeed,  concerning  the  greatest  living 
leader  of  men  it  was  true  that  'A  little  child  shall  lead  him.' ' 

"Were  you  old  enough  to  know  his  politics,  before  he  passed 
away  ?" 

"I  was  18  years  old,  and  had  been  with  him  daily  and  hourly ; 
and  so,  I  knew  his  politics,  national  and  international." 

"To  what  party  would  he  belong  today,  do  you  suppose?" 

"To  neither  party,  for  they  would  all  belong  to  him.  So  long 
as  he  dwelt  on  earth,  his  fellow  citizens  were  followers  of  his 
politics,  and  of  his  policies.  May  God  have  mercy  and  may  God 
have  pity  on  our  beloved  country,  if  the  people  ever  depart  from 
his  patriotic  instructions,  and  his  divinely  wise  leadership;  par- 
ticularly his  divinely  inspired  and  God-sent  warning  to  beware  of 
foreign  entanglements." 

At  this  moment  there  occurred  an  incident  which  excited  no 
comment  whatever,  because  similar  incidents  were  constantly 
occurring  everywhere  and  on  all  sorts  of  occasions. 

One  of  the  ablest,  most  worthy,  most  capable  of  the  statesmen 
on  the  portico  fell  forward  upon  the  shoulder  of  another;  and 
it  happened  to  be  one  of  his  most  virulent  political  antagonists. 
But,  the  sober  statesman  put  his  arm  around  his  weakening 
fellow-statesman,  and  with  the  aid  of  other  gentlemen  of  national 
renown  helped  the  half-drunken  man  to  a  chair,  and  left  him 
there  with  a  negro  slave  to  look  after  him.  It  was  no  disgrace, 
only  a  weakness,  to  succumb  to  the  influence  of  alcohol  a  bit 
of  time  sooner  than  others  of  like  habits  would  fall.  But,  the 
large  majority  of  gentlemen  were  always  sober  in  those  days. 
President  Taylor  then  asked : 

"Mr.  Custis,  I  presume  that  there  were  superior  wine  cellars 
-  at  Mount  Vernon,  were  there  not?" 

"Undoubtedly,  Mr.  President,  and  the  stock  on  hand  was  of 
the  largest  and  best  in  the  land.  General  Washington,  however, 
looked  upwards  rather  than  downwards,  and  the  wine  cellars  were 
opened  only  when  guests  were  there  who  expected  and  really 
required  some  sort  of  liquor;  for  General  Washington  obeyed 
the  Golden  Rule,  and  his  guests  could  always  have  the  kind  to 
which  they  were  accustomed.  The  General  did  not  force  his 
views  of  living  upon  others." 

OQ 

v  *J 


"Did  not  General  Washington  indulge  in  stimulants  of  any 
kind?" 

"He  certainly  did,  and,  as  the  years  kept  rolling  on  he  needed 
stimulants,  as  all  aged  persons  need  them.  He  used  Madeira  and 
sometimes  a  Cuban  wine  which  was  very  sweet.  In  winter  time 
the  General  found  both  food  and  stimulant  in  our  home-made 
hard  cider." 

"You  had  beds  of  mint,  too  ?" 

"The  best  in  Virginia,  and  I  believe  the  largest.  You  must 
understand,  Mr.  President,  that  General  Washington  was  the 
greatest  and  the  most  liberal  entertainer  in  our  country." 

"Then  he  enjoyed  mint  juleps  as  all  other  gentlemen  do?" 

"Quite  the  contrary,  Mr.  President,  General  Washington  hated 
every  form  of  distilled  liquor.  I  remember  that  one  Friday  Mr. 
Jefferson  came  to  Mount  Vernon,  and  on  Saturday  morning  Mr. 
Hamilton  came.  It  was  not  a  political  meeting,  I  am  sure,  for 
Mr.  Hamilton  was  surprised  when  he  found  Mr.  Jefferson  there. 
But  both  of  the  gentlemen  were  induced  to  remain  over  Sunday ; 
and  so,  on  Sunday  morning  they  went  with  the  General  to  the 
old  Pohick  church.  In  the  afternoon,  while  on  the  veranda, 
General  Washington  spoke  very  emphatically,  and  I  can  remember 
his  language  as  well  as  his  emphatic  and  angry  manner,  as  he 
walked  along  the  veranda,  for  he  said : 

"Gentlemen,  there  is  an  evil  spirit  over-shadowing  our  country. 
Several  gentlemen  brought  bottles  in  their  carriages,  as  though 
they  could  not  even  worship  God  without  their  spirits  in  bottles. 
That  habit  is  growing  in  the  upper  classes.  It  will  sink  down  to 
the  lower  classes.  I  can  foresee  riots  and  ruin  in  every  bottle  of 
distilled  liquor." 

"Mr.  Hamilton,  the  only  man  I  ever  knew  who  was  emphatic 
with  the  General  in  his  expressions  of  contrary  opinions,  pro- 
tested against  the  extreme  violence  of  the  outburst  of  Washington, 
and,  after  listening  to  Hamilton,  as  he  always  did  with  great 
respect,  General  Washington  said: 

"No  wise  man  will  ignore  the  wisdom  of  Holy  Writ.  It  is 
there  recorded  that  they  who  draw  the  sword  shall  perish  by 
the  sword.  Remember,  gentlemen,  that  the  original  inhabitants 
owned  this  land  on  which  we  stand.  White  men  drove  them  out, 
robbed  them,  and  will  exterminate  them.  But,  white  men  have 
accomplished  their  purposes  not  with  bullet  and  sword  alone.  They 
have  done  it  with  'Fire-Water.'  The  Indians  properly  named 
the  poison  which  they  like  so  well,  and  it  has  led  them  to  ruin. 
This  government  of  the  people  will  be  everlasting  under  proper 
conditions.  If  this  government  ever  shall  fade  from  the  earth, 
it  will  be  because  of  internal  dissensions  and  disagreements,  all 
of  them  caused  by  'Fire- Water.'  " 

24 


BABBLE,  BABBLE,  BABBLE 

with  jabber,  jabber,  jabber,  came  the  interrupting  voices  of  chil- 
dren, and  piercing  through  the  din  came  the  laughing  but  shriek- 
ing cry  of  "I  don't  believe  it,"  and  little  Charlotte  Wickham 
came  racing  across  the  portico,  followed  by  Archie  Ashby,  the 
sturdy  red-headed  boy  from  the  Mountains,  with  cheeks  redder 
than  the  hair  on  his  head.  Pushing  aside  those  most  potent, 
grave  and  reverend  seigniors  of  American  statesmanship  Char- 
lotte raced  to  the  host  and  climbed  upon  his  knees  as  she  asked  the 
question : 

"Grand-pa  Custis,  did  you  ever  see  a  Yankee  ?" 

Her  big  blue  eyes  were  fairly  glimmering  with  curiosity  and 
intense  earnestness,  as  she  impatiently  awaited  the  answer,  which 
was : 

"Why,  of  course,  Charlotte,  I  have  seen  a  Yankee.  Why  do 
you  ask  such  a  question  ?" 

"But,  Grand-pa  Custis,  I  mean,  did  you  ever  see  a  real  Yankee 
alive  and  on  its  feet  ?" 

"Now,  Charlotte,  you  little  terror,  what  is  your  joke  about? 
What  interests  you  on  that  subject?" 

"But,  Grand-pa  Custis,  did  you  ever  see  a  real  Yankee  really 
and  truly  alive  and  without  any  hat,  all  barejheaded  ?  Now, 
honor  bright,  Grand-pa  Custis,  did  you?" 

"Yes,  child,  I  have  seen  quite  a  number  of  Yankees,  all  of 
them  very  much  alive,  walking  around,  and  many  of  them  I 
have  seen  bareheaded,  too.  Now,  what  is  it  all  about?" 

All  of  the  statesmen  there  gathered  around  the  little  inquisitor 
and  the  venerable  sage,  listening.  Charlotte  said: 

"Why,  Grand-pa  Custis,  Archie  Ashby  says  that  Yankees  are 
all  alike.  They  have  long-spiked  tails  and  have  horns  on  their 
heads,  just  like  Apollyon,  in  the  Pilgrim's  Progress.  Is  that  so?" 

"No,  little  one,  that  is  not  so.  It  is  an  awful  lie.  Somebody 
has  been  lying  to  Archie,  and  he  has  been  misleading  vou. 
Archie,  boy,  remember,  always,  that  Grand-pa  Custis  told  you 
that  you  must  never  tell  that  story  again.  Some  bad  man  started 
that  story.  I  suppose  that  it  was  some  man  drinking  'Fire- 
water' that  started  that  story.  You  must  tell  all  of  your  boy  and 
girl  friends  that  it  is  an  awfully  wicked  lie,  and  an  unpatriotic 
lie,  too." 

Then,  turning  his  attention  to  Charlotte,  while  the  sturdy  boy 
stood  there  astonished  but  unafraid,  Mr.  Custis  said : 

"Now,  my  dear  Charlotte,  I  am  glad  that  you  came  to  me  with 
the  story.  Going  out  from  here,  you  and  Archie  can  do  a  great 
deal  of  good  for  our  glorious  country,  by  denying  that  story. 
And  now,  Charlotte,  how  would  you  like  to  see  a  real  live 
Yankee?" 

"Oh,  Grand-pa  Custis,  can  I  ever  see  a  live  Yankee?  Can  I 
go  where  they  live  ?" 

25 


"Yes,  you  innocent  little  dear,  there  is  a  live  Yankee  right 
near  to  us.  You  know  Senator  Seward,  and  you  like  him,  too. 
Well,  Senator  Seward  is  a  really,  truly,  sure  enough  live  Yankee, 
and  he  represents  a  million  Yankees  that  resemble  him,  without 
spiked  tail  and  without  horns." 

"Oh,  Senator  Seward,  please  take  me  up  again  and  hold  me, 
so  that  I  can  tell  everybody  that  I  love  a  real  Yankee.  Will  you  ?" 

Laughing  immoderately  for  one  of  such  studied  dignity,  the 
Senator  from  New  York  took  Charlotte  into  his  arms,  and  then 
he  said: 

"Look  right  over  my  shoulder,  Charlotte,  and  there  is  the 
greatest  orator  in  the  world,  Senator  Daniel  Webster,  and  he  is^a 
Yankee,  too ;  and  he  represents  about  a  million  other  Yankees." 

Her  friend  whom  she  dearly  loved,  General  Scott,  then  took 
the  little  one  in  his  arms,  and  said: 

"Remember,  my  little  sweetheart,  that  General  Scott  told  you 
that  thousands  of  Yankees  went  with  him  to  Mexico,  and  they 
were  brave  American  soldiers.  General  Jackson  had  some  Yan- 
kees with  him  at  New  Orleans,  and  General  Washington  was 
surrounded  by  Yankee  soldiers  when  he  raised  the  first-made 
Stars  and  Stripes  over  his  headquarters  at  Cambridge  on  Janu- 
ary 2,  1776." 

"I'm  mad  at  Archie,"  said  Charlotte  as  she  gracefully  glided 
down  to  the  floor.  "I  like  Yankees,  so  I  do.  I  wish  I  could 
marry  a  Yankee  right  now.  I'd  do  it,  just  to  spite  Archie.  So 
there !" 

Quite  a  bit  of  excitement  was  caused  in  the  group  of  states- 
men by  that  thrilling  little  incident.  When  quiet  reigned  again 
for  a  moment,  President  Taylor  spoke  to  Mr.  Custis,  saying: 

"That  shows  how  strife  is  impending,  and  how  it  is  being  cul- 
tivated secretly  by  some  unpatriotic  politicians.  What  do  you 
suppose  General  Washington  would  do,  Mr.  Custis,  under  such 
circumstances?  What  would  he  do  if  the  North  and  the  South 
would  separate?" 

"There  can  be  only  one  answer  to  that  question,  Mr.  Presi- 
dent," said  Mr.  Custis.  "Two  Presidents  have  spoken  for  Wash- 
ington; and  another  will  arise,  in  God's  own  good  time  to  speak 
for  Washington.  The  North  and  the  South  can  never  separate." 

"But,  Mr.  Custis,  many  men  of  superior  capability  believe 
that  separation  is  inevitable.  What  two  Presidents  have  spoken 
particularly  for  General  Washington?" 

"Well,  Mr.  President,  it  has  been  very  clear  to  me  that  Presi- 
dent Monroe  was  acting  somewhat,  and  I  believe  a  great  deal, 
under  the  influence  of  the  spirit  of  Washington,  when  he-  made 
it  impossible  for  'foreign  entanglements'  to  come  to  our  shores. 
President  Monroe  warned  all  Europe  to  keep  away.  He  would 
not,  and  he  could  not,  invite  foreign  governments  to  come  into 
our  midst." 

26 


"Then,  President  Andrew  Jackson  spoke  for  Washington, 
when  he  declared  with  such  emphasis:  'The  Union  must  and 
shall  be  preserved' !" 

"But,  Mr.  Custis,"  continued  President  Taylor,  "do  you  sup- 
pose that  General  Washington  could  control  such  conditions  as 
are  now  so  prevalent?" 

"Could  he?"  exclaimed  Mr.  Custis,  rising  from  his  chair. 
"Washington  could  do  everything,  and  do  it  well.  If  the  General 
were  living,  he  would  make  it  clear  to  the  North  and  to  the 
South  that  separation  would  mean  complete  destruction.  General 
Washington  would  make  them  understand  that  in  the  event  of 
separation  the  South  would  not,  and  the  North  could  not,  enforce 
the  Monroe  doctrine.  Washington  would  make  it  clear  to  both 
sections  that  separation  would  be  only  the  beginning  of  British 
domination.  That  would  follow  as  night  follows  day." 

"While  I  admire  with  you  the  Father  of  our  country,"  said 
President  Taylor,  "I  do  not  believe  that  anyone  could  so  control 
affairs  in  our  country,  under  existing  and  growing  conditions." 

"Then,  Mr.  President,  you  have  read  history  in  vain.  Remem- 
ber that  Washington  held  with  one  hand  the  incomparable  Thomas 
Jefferson,  and  with  the  other  hand,  at  the  same  time,  he  held 
the  indomitable  Alexander  Hamilton.  Thus,  today,  he  would 
hold  the  revolutionary  statesmen  from  South  Carolina,  and  also 
the  masterful  centralizing  statesman  from  Massachusetts.  Gen- 
eral George  Washington  would  and  could  hold  together  this 
great  and  growing  country,  so  that  all  of  the  people  would  avow 
the  doctrine  set  forth  by  Senator  Webster  in  his  reply  to  Senator 
Hayne,  that  ours  is  and  shall  be  'a  government  of  all  of  the 
people,  by  all  of  the  people,  for  all  of  the  people.' 

"And  furthermore,  Mr.  President,  let  me  assure  you  that  I 
have  a  religious  faith  and  belief  that  the  spirit  of  Washington 
will  always  be  with  us;  so  that,  if  this  sentiment  of  separation 
shall  continue,  and  an  effort  be  made  to  that  end,  this  country 
will  have  a  President  who  will  have  the  influence  of  the  spirit  of 
Washington  with  him  always,  so  that  he  will  proclaim  as  his 
own  doctrine  that  he  will  preserve  for  all  time  the  'Union,  now 
and  forever,  one  and  inseparable.'  " 

That  the  venerable  host  was  somewhat  weary  was  becoming 
apparent.  Having  arisen,  he  remained  standing  by  his  chair.  He 
drew  around  him  the  heavy  Paisley  shawl,  and  said: 

"Gentlemen,  those  March  winds  are  shrieking  and  beginning 
to  moan  angrily,  and  you  will  pardon  me  for  covering  my  head 
with  this  light  cockade,  for  a  sudden  chill  might  prove  to  be 
serious  with  me." 

President  Taylor,  who  had  been  giving  very  close  attention  to 
every  word,  said,  apologetically : 

"Please  pardon  me,  Mr.  Custis,  I  am  sure  that  I  speak  for 
all  present  when  I  say  that  you  have  given  to  us  a  wonderful 

27 


entertainment ;  but  I  should  like  to  have  you  enlighten  me,  and  of 
course  enlighten  all  of  us,  concerning  General  Washington's 
refusal  to  accept  another  term  in  the  Presidency.  Do  you  know 
the  real,  inside  purpose  and  reasoning  for  that  decision?" 

"Yes,  Mr.  President,  and  I  believe  that  every  citizen  of  our 
country  should  know,  for  everyone  will  spontaneously  approve 
the  reasoning  and  the  high  purpose  of  the  first  President  of  our 
republic. 

"The  subject  was  prominent  in  conversations  at  home  on  a 
number  of  occasions.  When  my  grand-mother  was  asked  for 
her  opinion,  she  replied,  as  she  did  to  his  inquiry  on  every 
national  topic,  in  these  words :  'Whither  thou  goest,  I  will  go.' 

"Before  making  public  his  decision  concerning  a  third  term, 
the  General  stated  his  conclusion  and  his  reasoning,  in  substan- 
tially these  words,  which  were  spoken  to  grand-ma: 

"  'You  know,  as  well  as  I  do,  my  dear  Martha,  and  maybe  you 
know  better  than  I  do,  that  my  days  are  gliding  swiftly  by,  and 
it  is  probable  that  I  should  not  live  through  another  term  of 
office.  The  task  is  constantly  growing  in  magnitude  and  in 
responsibilities.  It  is  necessary  for  me  to  look  into  the  future, 
for  the  welfare  of  the  country. 

"  'If  I  should  accept  a  third  term  in  the  presidency,  and  live 
through  that  term,  and  then  decline  to  serve  for  a  fourth  term, 
that  would  make  a  precedent  which  might  limit  the  aspirations 
of  ambitious  men  in  after  years  to  three  terms  in  an  office  which 
is  constantly  increasing  in  power. 

"  'But,  suppose  that  my  term  of  life  should  cease  during  my 
third  term  of  service.  There  would  then  be  no  precedent  what- 
ever to  curtail  the  ambitions  of  someone  with  King  George's 
love  of  power.  Some  man  with  superior  talents  for  leadership 
might  serve  two  terms,  and  make  use  of  the  power  of  the  office 
to  secure  a  third  term.  Having  accomplished  that  object,  there 
would  be  no  precedent  to  prevent  such  a  man  from  seeking  and 
compelling  a  fourth  term. 

( 'I  have  thought  of  the  coming  of  some  young  man  into  the 
office,  a  man  of  forty  years,  one  who  could  command  popular 
applause  by  territorial  aggressions  with  Patrick  Henry's  ora- 
torical talents;  or,  one  with  a  natural  love  of  power  imbued 
with  the  spirit  of  Henry  the  Eighth;  and  such  a  man  might 
persist  in  a  fourth  or  even  a  fifth  term.  Then,  a  dynasty  could 
be  formed,  and  this  republic  fade  from  the  earth  as  all  other 
republics  have  faded,  except  the  Helvetian  republic,  and  that 
one  so  small  and  reclusive  as  to  be  really  no  forceful  precedent. 

"  'And  so,  my  dear  Martha,'  said  General  Washington,  'I  am 
sure  that  the  last  service  that  I  can  render  the  country  will  be 
the  best  service,  in  thus  leaving  a  precedent  which  will  be  likely 
to  prevent  the  lapse  and  destruction  of  the  republic ;  a  precedent 
which  patriotic  men  will  always  be  able  to  use  to  thwart  selfish 

28 


.ambitions.  I  will  make  it  clear  that  a  third  term  is  unwise  and 
unpatriotic.  I  will  decline  it.' 

"Mr.  President,  the  General  died  in  what  would  have  been  the 

middle  of  a  third  term  if  he  had  accepted  it.     His  declination 

was   wise,   patriotic,    far-seeing,   and   that    declination   was   the 

greatest  of  all  of  the  great  deeds  of  General  Washington  for  his 

•country." 

Then,  turning  towards  the  massive  door  of  the  Mansion,  Mr. 
Custis  said: 

"Mr.  President,  that  little  elderly  lady  coming  out  of  the  Man- 
sion with  her  son-in-law,  Colonel  Robert  E.  Lee,  attended  the 
first  reception  ever  held  at  Arlington  Mansion.  At  the  beginning 
of  the  year  1804,  the  year  when  the  Mansion  was  completed,  she 
-was  Miss  Mary  Lee  Fitzhugh,  scarcely  16  years  of  age.  But, 
in  that  year  the  negroes  of  the  estate  held  the  first  reception 
here.  They  came  from  the  slave  quarters  and  gathered  on  one 
side  of  the  lawn,  when  Miss  Mary  Lee  Fitzhugh  arrived  here,  a 
16-year-old  bride,  accompanied  by  her  happy  husband,  and  she 
l)ecame  the  mistress  of  the  grandest  colonial  mansion  ever  built  in 
America.  She  has  been  a  wonderful  wife  and  mother. 

"See  how  proud  she  is  of  her  handsome  and  distinguished 
"hero  son-in-law." 

"She  has  ample  reason  to  be  proud."  said  General  Winfield 
Scott,  "for  Colonel  Robert  E.  Lee  is  a  marvelous  man,  and  a 
magnificent  soldier.  My  successes  in  Mexico  were  largely  due 
to  the  skill,  valor,  and  undaunted  courage  of  Robert  E.  Lee.  He 
is  the  greatest  military  genius  in  America  today." 

[END  OF  PROLOGUE.] 


The  Story 

MANY  years  ago  an  unpretentious,  modest,  retiring  and 
reclusive  assistant  pastor  of  a  church  in  Washington  City 
delivered  an  elaborately  scholarly  lecture  entitled  "The 
Light  of  the  Dark  Ages";  and  every  hearer  was  undoubtedly  as 
deeply  impressed  and  as  largely  enlightened  as  this  narrator. 
The  lecturer  subsequently  became  Archbishop  of  Dubuque,  and 
still  dwells  in  Dubuque,  as  these  lines  are  written. 

Attention  was  directed  by  the  lecturer  to  the  conditions  in  the 
world  before  and  after  the  Dark  Ages;  he  pictured  vividly  the 
awful  and  frightful  conditions  of  the  centuries  when  the  spirits 
of  evil  predominated  and  seemed  to  dominate.  And  then  the 
beloved  Father  Keane  directed  his  hearers  to  "the  little  gleam 
of  light,  so  small  and  so  obscure  that  only  the  keenest  eyes  of 
educated  intelligence  can  discern  a  single  ray.  But,  the  light  was 
there  and  it  shone  through  all  of  the  Dark  Ages ;  and  without 
that  light  the  world  would  have  continued  in  darkness.  But,  we 
have  knowledge  today,  history,  science,  religion,  and  social  devel- 
opment, all  because  of  the  Light  of  the  Dark  Ages ;  that  little  bit 
of  a  slender  light  that  shone  unfalteringly  through  the  blackness 
of  the  fog  of  brutality  and  crime. 

"The  Light  of  the  Dark  Ages,"  said  Father  Keane,  "came  from 
the  tallow  dip  of  the  cloistered  monk,  for  it  was  he  who  secretly 
and  religiously  preserved  for  you  and  for  me  and  for  all  future 
generations,  the  gems  and  precious  metals  of  history  that  would 
have  been  forever  lost  but  for  that  light  of  the  Dark  Ages." 

Thus  it  was  that  mankind  was  given  the  works  of  the  historians 
from  Herodotus  to  Bancroft,  the  science  and  logical  philosophy 
of  Aristotle,  the  literature  of  Homer  and  of  Virgil;  and,  how 
much  we  owe  to  the  historians  of  other  days  has  not  been  nor 
ever  can  be  calculated. 

Plutarch  gave  us  the  lives  of  the  great  men  of  Rome,  and, 
without  Plutarch's  Lives,  Shakespeare  could  not  have  given  to 
literature  the  characters  of  Caesar,  Brutus,  Cassius,  Antony  and 
Augustus ;  nor,  could  Longfellow  have  had  the  inspiration  to  tell 
to  youth  the  fact  that 

"Lives  of  great  man  all  remind  us 
We  can  make  our  lives  sublime, 
And,  departing,  leave  behind  us 
Foot-prints  in  the  sands  of  time. 

Without  that  light  of  the  Dark  Ages  there  could  have  been  no 
Luther  to  enlighten  the  sagging  church  that  now  begins  to  realize 

31 


its  indebtedness  to  that  masterful  man.  There  could  have  been 
no  Melancthan,  no  Calvin,  no  Cranmer,  no  Knox,  no  Wesley, 
no  Adoniram  Judson;  not  even  a  hare-brained  but  prosperous 
evangelist  out  of  the  sporting  arena  of  our  country. 

And  so,  the  writer  of  history  today  deserves  recognition  and 
appreciation  because,  even  in  a  most  humble  sphere,  he  is  fol- 
lowing the  commendable  example  of  the  cloistered  monk  whose 
tallow  dip  gave  to  mankind  the  faithful  but  faint  ray  of  the 
Light  of  the  Dark  Ages. 

Long  before  he  fell  from  grace  and  lapsed  into  the  inconse- 
quentiality  of  a  lordship,  while  he  was  himself  alone  crowned  by 
the  literary  jewels  of  his  brain,  Alfred  Tennyson  enriched  the 
world  with  ideals  divine.  Two  facts  of  inspiration  are  set  forth 
"by  Tennyson  in  the  three  lines,  telling 

"Howe'er  it  be,  it  seems  to  me, 

'Tis  only  noble  to  be  good. 
Kind  hearts  are  more  than  coronets." 

Those  facts  were  as  seed  sown  and  cultivated  in  the  brain 
and  heart  of  George  Washington  Custis  Lee  when  he  was  barely 
out  of  swaddling  clothes.  His  tutors  were  magnificent  and 
incomparable.  Those  salient  facts  of  life  were  taught  to  Custis 
Lee  by  his  grand- father,  George  Washington  Parke  Custis;  by 
his  grand-mother,  Mary  Lee  Fitzhugh  Custis;  by  his  mother, 
Mary  Ann  Randolph  Custis  Lee;  and  by  his  father,  General 
Robert  Edward  Lee.  Those  tutors  taught  him  according  to  the 
Bible  plan,  "precept  upon  precept,  here  a  little  and  there  a 
little,"  so  that  he  was  nurtured  and  developed  day  after  day, 
as  the  Man  of  Galilee,  whose  life  he  was  to  live  over  again, 
would  have  had  him  developed. 

In  prattling  babyhood,  in  boyhood,  at  school,  at  church,  in  the 
Military  Academy  he  carried  into  his  daily  life  the  Golden  Rule 
which  all  mankind  should  bear  and  wear ;  and  in  the  last  days  of 
his  mortal  existence  he  was  doing  good  to  others. 

For  his  unexampled  deeds  of  greatness  and  nobility,  in  peace 
and  in  war,  General  George  Washington  Custis  Lee  abjured 
kindred  and  friends  to  be  silent.  As  Jesus  abjured  his  disciples 
to  "tell  no  man,"  but  let  his  deeds  speak  for  themselves,4  so 
Custis  Lee  loved  others,  and  he  shrunk  into  voluntary  retirement 
from  public  acclaim.  His  noble  heart  of  incomparable  worth 
was  gentle,  kind,  and  over-shadowed  with  devotion  to  love  and 
duty. 

It  was  because  of  that  Christ-like  spirit  of  self-abnegation  that 
even  this  narrator  was  awed  into  silence  concerning  the  life  and 
deeds  that  all  mankind  should  know ;  but,  at  last,  mankind  shall 
know  concerning  Custis  Lee  that  his  life,  his  love,  his  courage 

32 


all  shone  forth  before  all  who  knew  and  loved  him,  as  brilliantly 
as  the  lights  of  the  stars  of  the  morning  that  "sang  together  for 
joy." 

During  the  first  hundred  years  of  the  existence  of  the  American 
republic  the  rising  and  succeeding  generations  were  sanely  demo- 
cratic because  they  sincerely  believed  that  "all  are  created  equal.'' 
Because  of  that  condition  of  affairs  Custis  Lee  was  democratic 
in  all  of  his  associations,  although  he  was  a  scion  of  nobility, 
with  environments  which  made  it  utterly  impossible  for  him  to 
forget  that  he  was  and  must  live  as  a  thoroughbred.  Even  the 
illiterate  slaves  always  looked  up  to  him  as  to  a  saint  amongst 
men. 

You  must  understand  and  comprehend  that  it  is  a  task  as  well 
as  a  duty  to  become,  even  superficially,  the  historian  of  a  super- 
man, and  yet,  it  is  a  labor  ipse  voluptas.  When  it  fell  to  the 
lot  of  Virgil  to  write  concerning  a  man  of  similar  mould,  he  said 

ARMA  VIRUMQUE  CANO 

and,  as  Virgil  thus  began  the  Aeneid,  the  identical  words  should 
be  used  in  this  story  of  virtue  and  valor,  for  it  is  true  thai  "I 
sing  of  arms,  and  a  hero." 

The  epic  of  Virgil  narrated  misfortunes  on  foreign  soil.  This 
greatest  American  story  ever  told  begins  with  "colonial  days," 
and  narrates  blue  blood  heritage  even  unto  the  fifth  antecedent 
generation.  First  of  all  to  come  upon  the  stage  is  the  incom- 
I arable  merchant  prince  of  the  new  world.  Although  not  armed 
cap-a-pie  as  knights-errant  for  conquest  of  dominions  including 
lady  fair,  the  makers  of  America  were  worthy  followers  of  the 
best  of  the  Crusaders ;  and,  in  a  better,  nobler  sense  it  may  be 
said  of  them : 

"In  days  of  old,  when  knights  were  bold, 
And  barons  held  their  sway," 

they  faced  foes  invisible  and  conquered  them.  He  who  con- 
quested  the  wealth  of  the  new  world,  who  became  the  most  alert, 
far-seeing  and  most  venturesome  in  mercantile  affairs,  shall  hold 
the  stage  for  time  sufficient  to  let  you  know  the  firm  foundation 
of  physical  and  mental  power  which  our  hero  manifested  on 
every  epochal  occasion  in  his  wonderful  career.  That  knight 
of  old  was  the  first  merchant  prince  of  the  Colony  of  Virginia. 

The  maternal  ancestry  of  our  hero  also  must  shine  forth  in 
the  story,  because  his  great-great-grand-mother  was  a  wonderful 
woman  whose  childhood,  girlhood,  maidenhood  and  wifehood  all 
combine  into  a  laminated  illumination  of  the  pages  of  the  early 
history  of  our  nation.  Wise  as  she  was  winsome,  she  chose  a 
man  among  men  who  had  achieved  leadership ;  such  a  man  as 
could  transmit  to  his  progeny  forcefulness  and  strength. 

33 


Martha  Dandridge  was  the  most  beautiful  and  the  most  brilliant 
of  the  belles  of  Williamsburg  when  Williamsburg  was  the  Capital 
City  of  the  British  Colony  of  Virginia;  and  that  incipient 
metropolis  was  the  recognized  colonial  capital  because  Governor 
William  Gooch  made  the  village  his  abiding  place. 

Admitted  by  all  as  being  the  most  regal  in  appearance,  the 
most  royal  of  manner  and  the  most  democratic  in  social  inter- 
course with  conceded  equals  in  the  colonial  court,  Martha  Dand- 
ridge was  sought  by  many  admirers,  and  with  reverential  courtesy. 
But  the  queenly  Martha  was  icily  adamantine  in  her  ideals. 
Ignoring  all  courtly  courtings,  her  heart  gave  no  warning  throbs, 
until  at  last  came  one  who  was  as  threateningly  dangerous  as 

ANOTHER  YOUNG  LOCHINVAR 

and  Martha  Dandridge  knew  it  immediately.  When  an  immov- 
able body  is  athwart  the  pathway  of  an  irresistible  body  there 
can  be  but  one  result;  an  inevitable  smash-up.  That's  what 
occurred  at  Wijliamsburg  almost  two  hundred  years  ago  when 
Daniel  Parke  Custis  came  upon  the  scene,  a  sane  Petruchio ;  a 
roysteriner,  boisterous,  aggressive,  irresistible,  but  always  courte- 
ously gentle  knight,  a  determined  master  of  affairs;  and  he 
snatched  the  spotlight,  pervaded  the  play,  and  allowed  no  other 
hero  in  the  act.  Well-born,  well-bred,  of  powerful  physique  and 
tireless  brain,  he  followed  with  business  acumen  the  riot  of 
society  which  Sir  Walter  Raleigh  had  started  by  carrying  tobacco 
to  Europe;  an  un-heard-of  vegetable,  a  novelty,  a  habit-producer 
for  which  the  wealthy  classes  were  ready  to  pay  in  cash,  even 
fabulous  prices.  The  father  of 

DANIEL  PARKE  CUSTIS 

catered  to  that  expensive  folly  of  the  old  world  nobility.  Rapidly 
he  grew  into  affluence  and  distinction.  The  worthy  and  self- 
assertive  son  of  such  a  man  could  not  be  denied,  for  he  would 
not  be  denied.  He  was  a  handsome  fellow,  too,  and  so  Martha 
Dandridge  capitulated,  because  her  heart  was  carried  by  storm. 
In  June,  1749,  Daniel  Parke  Custis  brought  his  bride  to  the  best 
colonial  mansion  in  America ;  brought  her  to  "The  White  House," 
still  famous  on  the  vast  Custis  estate  on  the  Pamunkey  river. 
It  was  built  upon  an  estate  which  was  a  wedding  present  from 
his  father.  There  they  dwelt  in  harmonious  happiness  until  1757, 
when  the  master  merchant  went  the  way  of  all  flesh,  leaving 
"The  Widow  Custis"  in  possession  of  an  estate  worth  more  than 
One  Hundred  Thousand  Dollars;  an  immense  fortune  for  those 
days,  and  she  became  known  as  "the  wealthy  widow."  Of  course 
there  were  suitors,  too  many  of  them. 

34 


ANOTHER  CAPITULATION 

Wise  and  prudent  in  her  virgin  beauty,  Martha  Dandridge  had 
been  unapproachable  by  flatterers  or  adventurers.  And  now  the 
beautiful  Widow  Custis  rejected  attentions  and  resented  assertive 
courtings.  No  selfish  fortune-hunting  Lothario  could  tell  to  her 
any  tale  of  adulation  that  could  equal  the  story  told  to  her  by  the 
mirror  in  her  own  palace.  She  was  living  only  for  the  little 
ones  that  had  been  sent  to  her  from  the  other  side  of  the  veil 
of  eternal  life. 

And  thus  two  years  floated  away  into  the  dismal  darkness  of 
f orgetf ulness ;  two  happy  years,  for  she  devoted  her  time  and  all 
of  her  educated  talents  to  John  Parke  Custis  and  to  his  little 
sister,  Martha  Parke  Custis,  teaching  them  the  rudiments  of  the 
knowledge  of  their  environments ;  also  opening  visions  of  future 
distinction  and  responsibility.  Suitors  continued  to  come  and  to 
go,  and  their  presence  might  be  recorded  as  interesting  as  enter- 
tainments during  dull  moments.  But  at  last  came  the  handsome 
soldier,  the  tall,  athletic  masterful  man  who  gave  to  an  attendant 
slave  the  care  of  his  horse  and  accoutrements,  and  entered  the 
door  as  a  welcome  guest;  welcome,  because  Martha  Custis  was 
impressed  by  complete  recognition  of  the  greatest  and  grandest 
man  she  had  ever  known ;  and  thus  it  happened  that  the  most 
beautiful  woman  in  Virginia  soliloquized:  "How  beautiful  men 
are !" 

That  handsome  young  officer  was  personally  attractive ;  one 
of  that  rare  class  of  men  who  are  not  made  more  attractive  by 
the  uniform,  nor  more  adorable  by  an  amorous  dance.  He  was 
a  real  man,  a  manly  man,  and  Martha  Custis  fully  realized  his 
worth.  The  young  officer  had  won  honor  by  unexampled  courage 
and  bravery,  and  by  having  demonstrated  superior  military  ability. 
Moreover,  he  had  won  fame  as  a  surveyor  of  vast  forests  in 
virgin  mountains,  and  in  vales  beyond  the  mountains.  He  was  a 
hunter,  too ;  and  had  acted  as  a  guide  for  a  large  army,  far 
away  along  the  Potomac  to  Fort  Cumberland;  so  that  his  spot- 
less military  career  had  resulted  in  the  popular  approval  of  the 
people,  who  called  him 

V 

THE  HERO  OF  BRADDOCK'S  FIELD 

and  so,  with  fame,  distinction,  manly  pulchritude,  wealth,  ambi- 
tion, and  genuine  affection  for  the  children  as  well  as  for  the 
widow,  Colonel  George  Washington  led  his  bride  away  from  the 
"White  House  Farm"  in  March,  1759,  to  his  own  home  at 
Mount  Vernon,  on  the  Potomac;  the  home  that  was  to  become 
distinguished  and  famous  as  the  home  of  the  first  super-man  on 
this  continent ;  the  home  also  of  Martha,  the  worthy  wife  of  the 
man  who  was  "First  in  War,  First  in  Peace,  and  First  in  the 
Hearts  of  his  Countrymen." 

35 


Never  has  there  been  a  wedding  during  the  present  era  in* 
which  events  have  demonstrated  greater  manifestation  of  the 
truth  of  the  sacrament,  "What  God  hath  joined  together."  George 
Washington  was  as  near  an  ideal  of  perfection  at  home  and  in 
peace,  as  on  the  tented  field.  The  little  ones  had  a  kindly, 
helpful  instructor,  a  happy  home,  and  love  divine  in  that  home. 
When  the  family  moved  to  Mount  Vernon  the  little  boy  was 
6  years,  and  the  baby  girl  was  3  years  old;  and  both  of  them 
were  beloved  companions  of  George  Washington  as  well  as  of 
their  marvelous  mother. 

Happiness  they  enjoyed,  happiness  seemingly  eternal  in  their 
fairy-like  environments,  without  a  cloud  of  any  kind  for  twelve 
years ;  and  then,  the  baby,  Martha,  when  only  16  years  of  age. 
was  called  from  the  narrow  vale  of  life  between  the  peaks  of 
two  eternities;  and  thereafter  she  was  seen  only  with  the  aid 
of  the  lenses  of  Faith  and  Hope;  and  to  the  boy,  19  years  old. 
the  master  mind  of  that  age  gave  all  of  his  attention.  That  boy 
was  to  become  sole  owner  and  possessor  of  the 

TITLE  TO  ARLINGTON 

and  concerning  that  estate  we  will  now  invite  your  attention, 
briefly.  It  must  be  remembered  that  those  magnificent  forest- 
crowned  hills  bordering  on  the  Potomac  were  the  beautiful  em- 
bowered homes  of  birds  and  animals  whose  presence  made  musical 
and  fairy-like  the  vast  expanse  of  wonderland,  the  happy  hunting 
grounds  of  the  Powtowmack  tribes  of  the  South  and  the*Susque- 
hanna  confederacy  of  the  North;  and  those  people  held  title 
in  fee-simple  to  all  of  those  lands ;  and,  for  those  lands,  in 
priority,  the  original  tribes  waged  many  wars  in  long  past 
centuries.  Early  settlers  on  "Observatory  Hill,"  in  Washington, 
disinterred  countless  skeletons  of  Indians  of  both  of  those  tribes, 
numberless  weapons  of  warfare  alongside  of  them;  mute  but 
unquestionable  evidence  that  aborigines  were  enacting  tragedies 
and  fatal  follies  ages  before  their  successors  manifested  equally 
insane  notions  of  human  aggrandizement  at  Gettysburg.  When 
the  marauding  white  men  came,  they  ignored  God-given  titles, 
and  made  records  of  their  own  declarations  of  metes  and  bounds. 
Never  earth's  philosopher  traced  with  the  golden  pen,  on  the- 
deathless  page,  truths  half  so  sage  as  the  poet  wrote  for  men, 
declaring  that 

"MAN'S  INHUMANITY  TO  MAN 

makes  countless  thousands  mourn."  One  of  the  first  known 
records  in  well-preserved  archives  sets  forth  that  the  British 
Governor,  William  Berkeley,  of  the  Colony  of  Virginia,  gave  to 
one  Robert  Howsen  an  estate  of  six  thousand  acres  (6,000)  of 
the  colonial  domain  as  a  priceless  present.  October  21,  1669,  is> 

36 


the  recorded  date  of  that  first  colossal  outrage  against  the  copper- 
colored  proprietors  of  that  land.  It  was  located  "along  the 
Potomack  River,  south  of  the  lower  rapids,  and  westward  as 
may  be  surveyed." 

Robert  Howsen  sold  that  magnificent  acreage  to  John  Alex- 
ander "for  six  hogsheads  of  tobacco."  Then,  after  retaining  the 
vast  estate  in  the  family  by  entailment,  more  than  one  hundred 
years,  it  was  divided  on  Christmas  Day,  1778,  after  a  very 
hilarious  celebration  of  Christmas;  for,  on  that  date,  Gerald 
Alexander  conveyed  eleven  hundred  acres  (1,100)  of  the  estate 
to  John  Parke  Custis,  prodigal  son  and  heir  of  the  opulent 
merchant  prince  and  land  operator,  for  the  sum  of  eleven  thou- 
sand pounds  in  the  currency  of  the  Colony  of  Virginia;  an 
amount  equal  to  so  many  pounds  sterling. 

THE  EARL  OF  ARLINGTON 

was  the  first  free-booter  that  came  from  Great  Britain  with  the 
King's  warrant  proclaiming  for  him  the  ownership  of  all  of 
Virginia;  and  that  included  the  boundless  domain  from  which 
other  sovereign  States  of  this  republic  were  subsequently  carved. 
Assuming  proprietorship  "by  right  of  discovery,"  King  Charles 
the  Second  issued  that  grant  which  made  Henry,  then  the  Earl 
of  Arlington,  the  owner  and  ruler  of  a  domain  more  vast  than 
all  of  the  other  British  possessions  of  the  world.  The  great- 
grand-father  of  John  Parke  Custis  named  his  small  estate  in 
Northampton  County  after  that  first  Earl ;  and  this  young  was- 
sailing son  of  Daniel  Parke  and  Martha  Custis  named  his  estate 
of  1,100  acres  along  the  Potomac,  after  that  smaller  estate  of 
his  ancestor.  The  first  owner  of  that  particular  acreage,  John 
Parke  Custis,  was 

SUCH  A  BAD  BOY 

that  he  was  not  a  dutiful  son  to  his  marvelous  mother.  When 
he  was  18  years  of  age  he  was  sent  to  King's  College,  in  New 
York;  but  he  remained  there  only  a  few  months.  He  was 
not  a  student,  and  would  not  be.  He  was  an  heir,  and  a  sole 
heir  after  the  death  of  his  sister  during  her  minority.  Women 
could  not  own  land.  When  his  mother  ceased  to  be  his  guardian, 
the  estate  of  Daniel  Parke  Custis  came  to  the  young  spend- 
thrifty  wassailer.  He  was  disobedient  to  his  mother  and  insolent 
to  his  masterful  guardian.  He  could  and  did  indulge  his  fondness 
for  fine  raiment,  the  best  horses  and  dogs  and  all  sports,  par- 
ticularly hunting. 

Wandering  from  one  worry  today  to  another  for  the  morrow, 
is  usually  the  fate  of  every  mother  of  a  wild  and  selfish  child. 
And  so,  while  the  bereaved  mother  at  Mount  Vernon  was 
weeping  for  the  loss  of  her  little  girl  she  was  constantly  antici- 

37 


pating  other  sorrow,  probably  greater  grief,  on  account  of  the 
reckless  and  indolent  son.  Like  a  meteor  out  of  a  clear  sky 
came  to  her  a  letter  which  opened  up  a  new  and  vast  vista  of 
amazement.  He  informed  his  mother  that  he  had  taken  the 
vows  of  matrimony  on  February  4,  1774,  having  been  married 
on  that  date  to  Eleanor  Calvert  of  Mount  Airy,  Maryland;  a 
child  of  only  16  years  concerning  whom  his  mother  knew  sub- 
stantially nothing.  However,  she  was  a  descendant  of  Lord 
Baltimore,  and  her  ancestry  was  replete  with  the  names  of  men 
•of  achievements.  Time  amply  attested,  and  his  mother  soon 
learned,  and  gladly,  that  her  son  had  made  no  mistake  in  his 
•choice  of  a  wife,  for  "Nellie  Custis,"  as  she  became  known,  was 
popular  in  the  higher  circles,  and  particularly  popular  in  the 
heart  of  the  wonderful  childless  mother  at  Mount  Vernon;  for, 
after  the  death  of  her  daughter  and  the  departure  of  her  son, 
and  the  public  demands  which  were  made  upon  her  husband, 
Martha  Washington  had  been  wandering  about  her  empty  home 
with  empty  arms  and  empty  heart.  Her  bright  daughter-in-law 
was,  to  Martha  Washington,  a  continuous  ray  of  sunshine,  and  a 
star  of  hope  in  the  reclamation  of  her  son.  It  was  Nellie  Custis 
who  induced  her  husband  to  build  their  home  at 

FOUR  MILE  RUN 

on  the  Arlington  estate,  only  eight  miles  north  of  Mount  Vernon. 
There  three  children  were  born  and  bred.  They  also  brought 
light,  love  and  happiness  to  their  grand-mother.  The  two  fami- 
lies were  near  neighbors  and  the  children  were  accustomed  to 
having  two  homes  in  which  they  reigned  as  the  queens  of  both 
hearthstones.  Thus,  "after  many  days,"  John  Parke  Custis 
became  a  faithful  husband  and  a  good  father  in  a  home  where 
Joy  was  duty,  and  Love  was  law.  That  home  was  the  first 
and  then  the  only  home  on  the  now  famous  Arlington  estate. 
There  the  three  little  girls  were  born.  But  when  the  time  ap- 
proached for  the  coming  of  a  fourth  child  the  young  mother 
responded  to  the  calls  from  her  home  at  Mount  Airy,  Maryland; 
and  there  she  went  without  opposition,  but  greatly  to  the  regret 
of  Martha  Washington.  And  so  it  happened  that  Nellie  Custis 
was  in  the  home  of  her  childhood,  maidenhood  and  young  wife- 
hood  when  the  fourth  child  came ;  a  little  boy  who  was  christened 
with  the  name  of  his  (to  be)  guardian  angel, 

GEORGE  WASHINGTON  PARKE  CUSTIS 

and  it  should  be  engraved  upon  fadeless  and  lasting  bronze  that 
the  lad  so  named  became  indeed  one  of  Nature's  noblemen,  and 
he  always  bore  and  wore  that  matchless  name  with  unblemished 
honor;  maintained  it  untarnished. 

38 


Moreover,  it  should  be  said  in  letters  both  bold  and  bright 
that  when  the  little  boy  was  only  6  months  old  his  father  died ;  was 
called  hence,  prematurely,  because  of  exposure  and  hardships 
which  he  endured  as  a  soldier  in  the  last  campaign  of  the  great 
struggle  for  Liberty  and  Independence.  He  died  for  his  country. 
Before  entering  the  army  John  Parke  Custis  had  become  a  most 
worthy  citizen. 

George  Washington  legally  adopted  the  fatherless  boy.  That 
great  and  good  man  was  the  only  father  the  little  fellow  ever 
knew.  From  Washington  he  learned  how  to  live;  and  he  lived 
always  in  accord  with  the  lessons  learned  from  the  life  and  from 
the  lips  of  the  matchless  man  whom  he  loved  and  revered. 

Muscles,  bone,  and  sinew  are  powerful.  Knowledge  is  power. 
George  Washington  Parke  Custis  obtained  knowledge  and  wis- 
dom from  the  greatest  source  in  this  country.  From  his  paternal 
companion  and  guardian  he  learned  all  about  the  history  of  his 
country ;  all  about  the  War  of  the  Revolution,  its  causes,  military 
annals  and  its  triumphant  achievements.  From  Washington  he 
learned  all  about  the  Constitutional  Convention,  and  about  the 
Constitution  which  that  Convention  developed;  a  Constitution 
which  could  not  or  would  not  have  been  accepted  and  adopted 
but  for  the  influence  of  Washington  himself.  Providentially, 
and  for  the  ultimate  development  of  our  modern  super-man. 
Washington  was  transmitting  greater  and  more  lasting  influence 
than  might  have  been  handed  down  to  posterity  by  a  descendant 
of  his  own.  His  adopted  son  learned  by  observation  during  the 
two  presidential  terms  of  Washington;  learned  diplomacy,  state- 
craft, and  the  glamors  of  official  hypocrisy  that  parades  as 
"Society"  in  circles  more  envied  than  enviable. 

BLAZING  LOG  FIRES 

in-  the  immense  fire-places  at  Mount  Vernon  not  only  warmed 
the  great  mansion  during  frigid  wintry  nights  and  stormy  after- 
noon, but  they  lighted  the  rooms  and  illumined  the  features  of 
the  great  instructor  of  the  adopted  son.  When  there  were  favor- 
able weather  conditions  the  great  man  and  the  apt  pupil  were 
along  the  river  banks,  under  the  trees,  hunting,  rowing  p.nd 
philosophizing.  And  because  the  youth  loved  his  benefactor 
with  an  almost  idolatrous  affection,  he  avoided  all  of  the  roads 
that  lead  to  fame.  He  wanted  distinction  to  belong  to  his  mentor ; 
the  undivided  admiration  of  all  mankind.  Thus,  it  will  be 
observed  that  the  man  who  was  to  become  the 

TEACHER  OF  THIS  HERO 

thus  practiced  the  self  abnegation  and  self-effacement  which 
stand  forth  in  another  generation.  When  the  summons  came 
which  called  his  grandmother  to  another  sphere  and  left  him 


homeless  as  well  as  fatherless  and  motherless,  George  Wash- 
ington Parke  Custis  went  forth  quietly  from  the  home  at  Mount 
Vernon,  retaining  only  the  vivid  memories  of  babyhood,  child- 
hood and  youth  with  the  foremost  man  and  woman  in  the  new 
world.  From  the  smaller  home  at  Four  Mile  Run  he  went  abroad 
every  day,  viewing  and  surveying  the  great  estate  of  which  he 
was  the  sole  heir.  From  every  point  of  view  he  studied  the 
topography.  He  also  peered  into  the  future  far  enough  to 
anticipate  the  growth  of  the  great  capital  city,  and  then  he 
selected  the  forest-clad  heights  to  be  the  site  of  the  new  home 
which  he  had  been  forming  architecturally  in  his  own  mind  with 
the  aid  of  the  library  and  personal  views  of  Thomas  Jefferson. 
Then  he  superintended  the  digging  for  the  foundations  into 
which  should  be  laid  the  massive  blocks  of  stone ;  he  selected  the 
flagging  stones  for  the  magnificent  portico ;  personally  he  directed 
the  roofing  and  the  decorations ;  with  plummet  in  hand  he 
watched  the  placing  of  the  portico  pillars.  Every  brick  used 
in  the  work  was  moulded  and  burned  on  the  estate.  Giving  to 
everything  his  personal  attention,  he  did  what  he  knew  George 
Washington  would  have  done ;  and  so,  he  produced 

ARLINGTON  MANSION 

and  finished  it  for  occupation  in  the  year  1804.  It  was  builded 
to  last  for  all  time.  No  longer  could  he  entertain  the  national 
and  international  friends  of  Washington,  as  he  had  been  doing 
at  Mount  Vernon.  But  he  could  and  would  entertain  them  in 
his  own  home.  For  well-nigh  half  a  century  he  did  lavishly  9 
entertain  those  friends,  as  Washington  would  have  had  him  * 
entertain  them.  When  he  was  23  years  of  age  he  was  married 
to  Mary  Lee  Fitzhugh;  an  admirable  Virginian  virgin  of  ancient 
lineage.  The  first  mistress  of  the  grandest  colonial  mansion 
known  then,  or  ever,  in  this  world,  was  only  16  years  old.  It 
was  a  wonderful  home  for  a  child  mistress,  but  the  little  princess 
reigned  with  queenly  grace  in  the  mansion  which  is  now  "on 
Fame's  eternal  camping  ground ;  where  Glory  guards,  with  solemn 
round,  the  bivouac  of  the  dead." 

Arlington  Mansion  has  a  frontage  of  140  feet;  including  the 
main  building  and  the  wings  of  either  side.  From  numberless 
samples  in  the  Jefferson  collection  the  young  master  selected  the 
Temple  of  Theseus,  at  Athens,  as  the  style  for  the  great  portico  ; 
and  it  is  a  faithful  reproduction. 

That  portico  is  sixty  feet  wide.  With  proper  proportion  it 
is  twenty-five  feet  deep. 

The  gracefully  beautiful  entablature  is  uplifted  by  eight  im- 
pressively massive  Doric  columns. 

The  site  is  wonderful  beyond  powers  of  description.  It  is 
incomparable.  From  the  portico  there  is  an  unobstructed  view 

40 


of  the  Potomac  river.  That  view  is  glorified  by  the  hills  of 
Maryland  which  green-wall  the  National  Capital  City  with  waving 
forest  leaves;  green  walls  which  seem  like  frames  formed  by 
Nature  for  the  picture  that  no  camera  can  reproduce  and  no 
artist  can  paint. 

Anticipating  unworthy  conditions  at  the  old  home,  the  affec- 
tionate grand-son  of  Martha  Washington  managed  to  carry  to 
his  new  home  numerous  mementoes,  unknown  to  others,  and 
that  which  he  valued  most  highly  and  guarded  most  carefully 
was  the 

TENT  OF  WASHINGTON 

and  when  he  desired  to  do  special  honor  to  any  one  of  the  best 
friends  of  Washington,  the  famous  old  war-worn  and  weather- 
beaten  Tent  was  pitched  on  the  lawn  before  the  Mansion.  When 
General  Lafayette  was  entertained  in  Washington  City  by  the 
Federal  Government,  on  October  12,  1824,  the  noble  Custis  loaned 
that  Tent  to  the  Reception  Committee,  and  it  was  pitched  in  the 
rotunda  of  the  Capitol  building.  Then,  during  the  month  of 
January,  1825,  Lafayette  spent  almost  a  week  in  the  Arlington 
Mansion,  and  there,  upon  the  lawn,  the  "Tent  of  Washington" 
was  pitched,  and  there  it  remained  during  that  entire  visit.  One 
afternoon  while  standing  beneath  the  covering  of  that  tent,  where 
he  had  stood  with  the  great  master  of  men  in  "the  days  that 
tried  men's  souls,"  Lafayette  was  so  agitated  with  memories  of 
the  great  general  and  the  great  events  of  the  war  that  the  wither- 
ing cheeks  of  the  venerable  soldier  of  Liberty  were  moistened 
with  tears  which  shone  like  jewels  reflecting  his  recollections  of 
the  campaigns,  marches,  thrilling  charges,  victories  and  glories 
of  those  days.  To  the  noble  Custis,  whose  honored  guest  he 
was,  Lafayette  said: 

"I  first  saw  you  at  Mount  Vernon,  in  1784,  when  you  were  a 
very  little  gentleman,  with  a  feather  in  his  hat,  holding  fast  to 
one  finger  of  the  strong  hand  of  the  good  General  George 
Washington." 

HOW  FIRM  A  FOUNDATION 

Character  is  no  stronger  than  its  foundations.  Very  few  of 
our  people  know  the  true  breadth  and  strength  of  the  marvelous 
character  of  George  Washington;  and,  that  being  the  case,  our 
people  have  not  comprehended  the  character  of  his  adopted  son, 
his  beloved  pupil,  George  Washington  Parke  Custis,  to  whom 
Washington  imparted  a  daily  motion-picture  review  of  all  that 
was  good  and  great  in  the  character  of  the  Father  of  his  Country ; 
and  thus  was  reproduced  the  fundamental  principles  of  that  great 
character. 

41 


These  facts  are  stated,  and  emphatically,  in  order  that  you  may 
comprehend  how  it  happened  that  the  greatness  of  the  character 
of  George  Washington  was  imparted  to  the  hero  of  this  story. 

Sir  George  Otto  Trevelyan,  describing  the  encampment  at 
Valley  Forge  as  the  most  celebrated  encampment  in  the  history 
of  the  world,  says: 

"Depressed  and  anxious,  Washington  was  not  perturbed  out 
of  measure,  inasmuch  as  he  believed  himself  to  be  in  direct  rela- 
tions with  an  Authority  which  was  superior  to  Congress.  The 
old  iron  master  at  Valley  Forge,  with  whom  Washington  lodged, 
related  that  one  day,  while  along  the  creek,  he  found  the  General's 
horse  fastened  to  a  sapling.  Looking  around  he  saw  Washington 
in  a  thicket  by  the  roadside  on  his  knees  in  prayer.  The  honest 
man,  who  was  a  Quaker  preacher,  said:  'I  felt  that  I  was  on 
holy  ground,  and  withdrew,  unobserved.'  On  returning  to  his 
home  he  told  his  wife  that  the  Nation  would  surely  survive  its 
troubles,  because,  if  there  was  anyone  on  earth  to  whom  the 
Lord  would  listen,  that  one  was  General  Washington." 

That  firm  foundation  of  character  was  transmitted  to  his 
beloved  youthful  companion  and  pupil.  To  his  daughter  George 
Washington  Parke  Custis  transmitted  that  firm  foundation. 
Then  she  and  her  father  taught  to  the  hero  of  this  story,  in  his 
youth  and  young  manhood,  how  to  found,  build  and  develop  the 
character  which  made  him  the  American  hero  of  whom  but  few 
have  heard,  but  concerning  whom  all  mankind  shall  know  and 
to  whom  deferential  appreciation  shall  be  given. 

AMERICA'S  GREATEST  ENTERTAINER. 

While  living  in,  for,  and  with  mankind,  George  Washington  did 
not  wear  the  sacred  emotions  of  his  nature  on  his  sleeve,  nor 
did  his  pupil  nor  did  the  hero  of  this  story.  Washington  mingled 
with  men  with  democratic  demeanor,  assuming  no  superiority, 
and  yet  receiving  the  voluntary  obeisance  of  his  fellow  men. 
When  he  laid  aside  his  public  duties  on  March  4,  1797,  and 
returned  to  his  Virginia  home,  all  men  of  distinction  followed 
him  to  that  home,  so  that  Mount  Vernon  became  the  Mecca  of 
America.  The  distinguished  master  there  was  the  greatest  enter- 
tainer then  or  ever  since  on  the  American  continent.  That  fact 
was  observed  and  comprehended  by  the  young  master  of  the 
Arlington  Estate  who  was  rapidly  approaching  manhood;  and 
thus  it  naturally  followed  that  when  he  could  not  continue  at 
Mount  Vernon  to  receive,  those  friends  of  Washington,  he  planned 
to  make  and  he  did  make  Arlington  Mansion  the  greatest  and 
most  generous  place  of  entertainment  in  the  United  States ;  a 
Mansion  most  richly  furnished,  with  china,  silver,  gold,  silk  and 
mahogany;  and  no  historian  ever  has  liberally  and  gracefully 
described  the  magnificent  manner  in  which  his  child-wife  cor- 

42 


dially  co-operated  with  him.  During  the  life-times  of  the  friends 
of  Washington  they  were  welcomed  with  all  of  the  well-bred 
dignity  and  cordial  courtesy  that  was  habitual  to  Washington 
himself  on  all  occasions. 

"Welcome"  was  sigsaled  by  the  beds  of  flowers,  over  the  various 
gates  and  on  the  genial  faces  of  the  gentleman  and  the  gentle 
woman  who  cheerily  greeted  all  visitors;  and  they  were  num- 
berless. The  growth  of  Alexandria,  which  was  a  commercial 
port,  and  of  Washington,  the  National  Capital  City,  the  increas- 
ing population  in  the  farm  lands  of  near-by  Virginia  and  Mary- 
land, supplemented  the  generous  hospitality,  so  that  the  children 
of  the  churches,  Sundays  schools,  and  the  mature  folks  of  lodges 
and  civil  societies  wended  their  ways  towards  the  "Arlington 
Springs,"  and  the  Arlington  Estate  became  the  favorite  picnicing 
grounds  of  the  surrounding  country ;  and  those  parties  continued 
to  grow  in  numbers  until  the  political  disturbances  of  1860  and 
1861,  when  clouds  of  national  insanity  obscured  the  sunlight  of 
fraternal  love.  During  the  year  1856  upwards  of  20,000  people 
enjoyed  outings  there,  and 

HUNDREDS  OF  LITTLE  CHILDREN 

were  entertained  by  an  elderly  gentleman,  dressed  as  in  colonial 
days,  distinguished  in  appearance  but  wearing  welcoming  smiles. 
He  came  to  their  gatherings,  clasped  their  little  hands,  talked 
with  them,  and  entertained  them  with  popular  tunes  on  a  violin ; 
and  that  elderly  gentleman  was  a  master  musician,  too. 

That  was  George  Washington  Parke  Custis,  the  beloved  grand- 
son of  Martha  (Custis)  Washington,  the  adopted  son  and  wor- 
shiping companion  of  George  Washington ;  the  wonderful  man, 
heretofore  so  little  known,  the  only  man  ever  tutored  by  George 
Washington. 

Mark  ye!  What  Washington  did  for  that  man  in  his  youth, 
George  Washington  Parke  Custis  did  for  his  own  grand-son, 
George  Washington  Custis  Lee,  the  eldest  son  of  Robert  E.  Lee. 

Thus,  you  see,  the  tutoring  of  the  Father  of  his  Country  was 
transmitted,  first  hand,  to  a  worthy  and  capable  pupil.  This, 
as  well  as  his  heritage  of  superior  intelligence,  must  in  some 
measure  account  for  the  magnificent  manhood  of  George  Wash- 
ington Custis  Lee. 

Unless  conversant  with  provincialisms  and  pronunciations,  you 
could  not  know  that  the  word  P-i-e-r-c-e  is  pronounced  Purse, 
nor  that  in  New  England  the  word  Q-u-i-n-c-y  is  pronounced 
Quinzy. 

On  July  1,  1854,  General  Franklin  Pierce,  a  distinguished 
veteran  soldier  of  the  War  with  Mexico,  was  President  of  the 
United  States  and  concededly  the  most  strikingly  handsome  man 
that  had  ever  held  that  high  office  after  Thomas  Jefferson. 

43 


Officially  present  at  West  Point  on  that  date,  President  Pierce 
reviewed  the  corps  of  cadets  and  participated  in  their  commence- 
ment exercises. 

The  first  honor  man  of  the  graduating  class  was  George 
Washington  Custis  Lee  of  Virginia.  The  young  cadet  was  per- 
sonally congratulated  and  complimented  by  President  Pierce ; 
and  mirabile  dictu,  he  was  handed  his  first  commission  by  the 
Secretary  of  War,  who  was  also  a  soldier  and  hero  of  the  War 
with  Mexico,  Jefferson  Davis  of  Mississippi. 

Constantly  conscious  of  the  fact  that  he  was  the  grand-son 
of  "Light  Horse  Harry  Lee,"  of  revolutionary  fame,  the  young 
first  honor  man  was  also  intensely  impressed  with  consciousness 
of  the  fact  that  he  was  the  son  of  the  Superintendent  of  the 
Military  Academy  at  West  Point ;  and  his  father,  Colonel  Robert 
E.  Lee,  was  also  a  hero  of  the  War  with  Mexico.  Christened 
with  the  name  of  the  Father  of  his  Country,  and  with  an  enviable 
ancestry,  it  was  natural  only  that  the  young  cadet  should  strive 
to  be  worthy  of  his  antecedents  and  environments. 

During  his  long  life  of  four  score  years  Custis  Lee  never 
forgot  those  salient  facts;  nor  ever  once  did  he  fail  to  act  well 
his  part  in  the  drama,  romance,  tragedy  and  glory  of  the  epochal 
years  of  his  immediate  future. 

Seven  years  after  that  commencement  day  at  West  Point  the 
Superintendent  and  his  son,  the  first  honor  man,  had  occasion 
to  delve  in  vivid  memories  of  the  day ;  for,  that  same  Jefferson 
Davis  was  President  of  a  vaster,  more  populous,  more  prosperous, 
and  more  promising  republic  than  Washington  had  ever  dreamed 
of ;  and,  that  same  Jefferson  Davis  was  beckoning  to  both  of  them 
to  come  to  his  side.  They  did  not  stain  the  escutcheon  of  the 
Lees  with  ingratitude. 

On  the  morning  following  the  commencement  exercises  at 
West  Point,  President  Pierce  was  accompanied  by  Secretary 
Jefferson  Davis,  General  Winfield  Scott,  Colonel  Robert  E.  Lee, 
and  other  officers  on  the  trip  to  New  York  City,  and  thence  to 
their  various  destinations;  so  that  in  the  evening  of  July  3, 
Colonel  Lee  arrived  at  Arlington  Mansion  for  a  brief  vacation. 

Quite  naturally  the  young  lieutenant  spent  some  time  in  the 
big  city,  not  in  recreation,  but  in  shopping.  He  desired  to  carry 
home  some  presents,  and  he  also  selected  some  little  mementoes  of 
the  metropolis  for  neighbors  near  and  a  neighbor  dear  to  him. 
In  the  early  morning  of  July  5  the  negro  house  servants  who 
were  on  the  lookout  for  him  hastened  to  notify  his  mother  and 
she  was  soon  clasped  in  the  arms  of  her  first-born  son,  a  stalwart, 
handsome  young  athlete,  straight  as  an  arrow  and  carrying  him- 
self with  princely  pride. 

Together  they  ascended  the  stone  steps  of  the  great  portico, 
when,    at    the    door,    appeared    Colonel    Robert    E.    Lee.      In- 

44 


stantly  the  young  lieutenant  withdrew  his  arm  from  his  mother's 
waist,  came  to  "attention"  and  saluted  his  superior  officer,  who 
returned  the  salute,  and  then  the  father  came  and  clasped  the 
hand  of  the  son  of  whom  he  was  so  proud.  After  entering  the 
great  reception  room,  the  mother  said : 

"My  boy,  my  first-born  son,  I  am  so  proud  of  you.  Your  father 
tells  me  you  are  the  first  cadet  that  ever  went  through  West 
Point  without  a  single  demerit,  and  also  came  forth  at  the  head 
of  his  class.  It's  wonderful  to  me.  I'm  so  happy." 

"Mother  mine,"  said  Custis,  "we  are  in  perfect  harmony  as 
usual,  for  I  am  as  happy  and  as  proud  as  you  are;  happy  that 
I  have  made  my  mother  happy,  and  proud  because  my  mother  is 
proud  of  me." 

William  Henry  Fitzhugh  Lee,  the  younger  brother,  came  run- 
ning across  the  lawn,  having  just  been  informed  of  the  arrival 
of  Custis.  He  was  almost  16  years  old,  stout,  much  heavier 
than  Custis,  but  very  active.  Quickly  after  the  greetings  the 
younger  brother,  whom  they  always  called  by  his  nickname 
"Rooney,"  said  to  Custis : 

"I  want  to  go  into  the  army,  too,  like  Grand-pa  and  Dad,  and 
like  you.  I  don't  want  to  go  to  Harvard.  I  want  to  go  to  West 
Point,  too." 

Colonel  Lee  said :  "I'm  glad  you  have  that  ambition,  'Rooney,' 
and  maybe  I  can  find  the  political  influence  to  put  you  there 
when  you  are  a  few  years  older.  Just  now,  I  have  no  influence 
worth  while ;  but  I  will  keep  in  mind  your  proper  ambition." 

Custis  Lee,  the  elder,  although  weighing  twenty  pounds  less, 
always  spoke  of  his  younger  brother  as  "my  little  brother." 
He  said: 

"Some  day  when  I  can  win  my  way  to  an  assignment  in  the 
War  Department,  I  will  direct  my  energies  to  finding  that 
influence  for  my  little  brother.  He  ought  to  go  to  West  Point 
if  we  can  put  him  there." 

BEING  IN  LOVE  WITH  A  GIRL 

very  early  in  the  morning  July  7,  1854,  at  Arlington,  Brevet 
Lieutenant  Lee  departed,  on  horseback,  his  proud  mother  saying : 

"Charlotte  is  a  prize,  my  son ;  but  no  girl  is  going  to  win  my 
boy  away  from  me.  Maybe,  after  I  am  gone,  you  may  think 
seriously  of  Charlotte;  but  not  now.  Give  to  her  and  to  her 
mother  and  father  our  hearty  regards  and  neighborly  affection." 

Also  very  early  morning,  July  7,  1854.  at  the  home  of  Judge 
Wickham,  a  spacious  frame  Virginia  Mansion,  on  the  portico 
was  Charlotte  Wickham  (a  little  blonde,  like  Delia  Fox)  with 
her  mother.  Charlotte,  being  in  love  with  a  young  man,  was 
restless,  remained  standing  there,  went  down  the  path  to  the 

45 


gate  and  back  again  several  times,  and  Mrs.  Wickham,  kindly 
reproving  her  daughter,  said: 

"Charlotte,  my  child,  Custis  will  remain  with  his  mother  and 
the  family  for  some  days  before  coming  here.  Remember,  dear 
child,  his  mother  has  not  seen  him  since  he  closed  his  vacation 
last  October;  and  his  mother  of  course  wants  to  have  her  boy 
with  her  for  a  while." 

Charlotte  replied:  "Well,  when  Custis  is  my  boy  his  mother 
will  have  to  come  here  to  see  him.  I'll  never  let  him  leave  me; 


never." 


'But,  Charlotte,  you  simple  little,  impatient  not-to-say  selfish 
angel;  I  am  afraid  that  Custis  is  not  half  as  crazy  about  you  as 
you'd  want  him  to  be.  Yes,  don't  frown  at  me,  because  I  meant 
to  add,  as  I'd  like  him  to  be.  But,  he  hasn't  proposed  yet.  He 
can't  be  here  today.  So,  quit  promenading  to  the  gate.  Be 
patient  a  few  days." 

With  full  skirt  extending  only  a  few  inches  below  the  knees, 
and  with  ankle  flounces  around  the  bottom  of  her  pantalettes, 
Charlotte  was  a  picturesque  as  well  as  graceful  little  human 
gazelle  as  she  ran  to  her  mother  smiling,  but  almost  petulantly 
saying : 

"Mother,  I'm  sure  you  never  were  in  love." 

Well,  there  was  prophecy  or  some  other  kind  of  inspiration 
in  Charlotte's  hopeful  and  loving  heart ;  for  she  was  right  in 
confidently  anticipating  the  coming  of  Custis.  Maybe  it  was 
telepathic  communication.  At  any  rate,  Charlotte  continued 
her  out-looking  excursions  to  the  big  gate,  gazing  down  the  long 
road  again  and  again  and  slowly  returning  to  the  veranda  or  up 
stairs  to  the  mother  who  continued  to  reprove  her. 

However,  in  the  early  evening  when  Charlotte  walked  down 
the  stairs  to  gaze  into  the  gloaming,  the  Judge  and  Mrs.  Wickham 
tauntingly  accompanied  her.  But,  no  sooner  were  they  near  the 
gate  where  they  could  see  the  roadway  for  a  mile  or  more,  than 
sure  enough  there  they  saw  the  young  lieutenant  in  uniform, 
accompanied  by  his  negro  valet,  slowly  approaching;  slowly 
because  the  horses  had  been  urged  onto  a  forced  march  by  the 
young  lieutenant  who  was  as  anxious  to  see  Charlotte  as  that 
little  one  was  anxious  to  see  him. 

Instantly  Charlotte  unclasped  the  gate-lock  and  tried  to  open 
the  gate  so  that  she  could  run  down  the  road  to  meet  Custis. 
But,  Judge  and  Mother  Wickham  restrained  her.  Decorum  and 
dignity  required  that  Charlotte  return  to  the  house  and  she  was 
required  to  accompany  Mother  Wickham  to  her  room,  and' 
Mother  Wickham  said : 

"Nice-looking  eyes  you  now  have.  Sit  here  and  keep  cool, 
as  a  well-bred  Virginia  gentlewoman  should  be.  Remain  here 
with  your  mother  until  the  coming  of  the  guest  is  announced  to- 

46 


your  father.  He  will  cordially  welcome  the  visitor.  Then  he 
will  send  Aunt  Lize  to  announce  him.  We  will  take  our  time 
getting  ready  to  meet  with  him." 

Charlotte,  stamping  her  foot  and  shaking  her  head  saucily,  said : 

"I'm  not  a  gentlewoman,  Mother;  not  yet.  I'm  just  16,  and 
I  love  Custis.  We're  ready  now,  both  of  us.  There  needn't 
be  any  getting  ready  at  all.  I'm  going  downstairs  right  now. 
Ain't  he  handsome?" 

"No,  dear,  we're  not  ready.  His  coming  is  a  surprise  to  us. 
Shame  on  you  that  your  mother  must  stand  against  the  door 
this  way  to  protect  you  from  your  own  folly.  Custis  must  not 
know  that  we  are  ready,  .nor  that  you  are  anxious  to  throw 
yourself  at  him.  Remember,  you  are  a  Virginia  gentlewoman 
now ;  and  you  must  always  act  well  your  part.  Your  father 
must  not  be  ashamed  of  your  appearance  nor  of  your  manners 
and  style." 

"Dad  don't  like  Custis,  and  I  know  it,"  said  Charlotte. 
'"On  the  contrary,"  said  Mother  Wickham,  "your  father  says 
that  Custis  is  the  brightest  and  best  young  man  that  he  knows 
of ;  and  that  Custis  always  has  been  a  model  boy,  worthy  of  his 
ancestry  and  his  heritage." 

"Can't  you  see  that  both  of  us  would  like  to  have  Colonel 
Lee  and  Mrs.  Lee  look  upon  our  daughter  in  like  manner;  as 
a  model  of  the  highest  type  of  Virginia  gentlewomen?" 

"Pardon  me,  dear  old  Mom.  I'll  be  good.  'Deed  I  will.  But, 
Mother,  I  know  you  never  were  in  love." 

And  it  was  high  time  for  Charlotte  to  be  drying  her  eyes  and 
powdering  her  nose.  Her  cheeks  were  ripe  cherry  red  always, 
but  they  colored  a  peach-bloom  deep  pink  as  she  glanced  out  of 
the  window  and  saw  her  Custis  dismounting  by  the  big  iron 
gates  and  handing  the  reins  to  his  butler,  who  led  the  horses 
away  while  Custis  stepped  upon  the  graveled  path  with  sprightly 
tread  and  approached  the  veranda  upon  which  Judge  Wickham 
was  standing.  The  Judge  was  wearing  his  smoking  jacket  and 
burning  Virginia  tobacco  in  the  meerschaum  pipe  which  he  had 
been  diligently  coloring  for  more  years  than  Custis  had  lived. 

Walking  towards  the  top  step  of  the  veranda  with  slow  and 
stately  dignity,  Judge  Wickham  received  Custis  with  a  hearty 
hand-clasp  and  words  of  sincere  and  cheerful  greeting.  After 
crossing  the  broad  portico  and  entering  the  spacious  reception 
room,  Custis  inquired  with  manifest  interest  if  the  ladies  were 
well,  and  if  they  were  at  home. 

Judge  Wickham  jingled  a  tiny  silver  bell  which  always  was 
available  on  the  center  table.  Immediately  black  Liza,  slender, 
clean,  graceful,  intelligent,  a  model  house  servant,  appeared, 
received  the  inquiry,  and  retired  to  announce  the  guest  to  the 
ladies. 

47 


Slaves  of  the  best  and  most  aristocratic  families  were  illiterate, 
but  cunningly  cute  as  they  grew  to  maturity  in  the  house  and 
home.  And  so,  as  Liza  ascended  the  stairway  she  looked  back, 
smiled  and  went  on  up  to  the  chamber  of  Mother  Wickham. 
As  Liza  entered  the  room  she  began  saying : 

"Missus,  Mr.  Custis  Lee " 

Charlotte  ran  impulsively  towards  the  door,  but  her  mother 
intercepted  her  and  replied  to  the  message  by  saying  to  Liza : 

"Go  and  tell  your  master  that  my  daughter  and  I  will  both  of 
us  be  very  glad  to  meet  and  welcome  the  gentleman  as  soon  as 
we  can  prepare  ourselves." 

Mrs.  Wickham  restrained  Charlotte,  closed  the  door,  and  when 
Liza  returned  directed  her  to  stand  with  her  back  against  the 
door;  for  the  prudent  and  controlling  mother  knew  that  her 
daughter  was  straining  at  the  mandatory  leash  of  maternal  dis- 
cipline; and,  although  well  bred  and  biddable,  the  time  had 
arrived  when  independent  womanhood  was  beginning  to  assert 
itself  and  Charlotte  might  become  uncontrollable.  Liza  took  her 
position,  her  black  countenance  beaming  with  emotions  of  admira- 
tion and  hope  for  her  young  mistress,  and  Liza  said : 
"Miss  Charlotte,  yo'  shore  is  han'sum  t'day.  Hoccome?" 
Judge  Wickham  was  wisely  entertaining  the  welcome  visitor 
by  directing  his  conversation  to  the  subject  with  which  he  was 
most  familiar,  and  Custis  was  answering  questions  galore  con- 
cerning West  Point  and  the  daily  life  of  routine  there.  Upstairs, 
when  the  grand-father's  clock  had  marked  the  passage  of  fifteen 
minutes,  Mother  Wickham  said: 

"Liza,  go  and  tell  your  master  that  we  will  be  downstairs  in 
just  another  minute." 

But  Mother  Wickham  restrained  Charlotte  for  another  five 
minutes,  and  then  preceded  Charlotte  in  descending  the  stairs. 
Mother  Wickham  greeted  Custis  with  a  kiss,  just  as  she  had 
been  greeting  him  from  the  days  of  his  babyhood.  How  Charlotte 
did  envy  her  mother  when  she  kissed  her  Custis  and  while  she 
was  saying: 

"This   is   a  great  honor,   Custis,   and   a  great   surprise.     Of 
course  you  have  been  home,  haven't  you ;  and  are  all  well  there  ?" 
"Oh,  yes,  Mrs.  Wickham,  all  are  well,  and  I  bring  messages  of 
neighborly  regard  and  affection  from  both  father  and  mother." 

Charlotte's  greeting  was  as  effusive  as  might  be  expected  of 
one  so  young,  and  so  emphatically  in  love ;  and  yet,  she  was  coyly 
dignified  until  her  mother  had  first  greeted  the  guest.  Charlotte 
said : 

"I  told  Mother  yesterday  and  today  that  you  were  coming,  and 
I  am  delighted  to  see  you." 

"Thank  you,  and  many  thanks  to  all  of  you,  for  your  friendship 
and  kindness.  I  am  on  to  Richmond.  I  shall  visit  our  White 

48 


House  Farm  estate  on  the  Pamunkey,  the  b.idal  home  of  Grand- 
ma Martha  Custis,  and  then  I  go  on  to  Richmond  to  be  made  a 
Mason  in  the  lodge  of  which  my  noble  father  is  Past-master." 

Mrs.  Wickham  took  her  place  Tbeside  her  husband.  Charlotte 
conducted  Custis  to  a  large  old-fashioned  hair-cloth  sofa.  All 
were  seated,  when  Mrs.  Widkham  rang  a  liule  silver  bell.  When 
Liza  appeared,  Mrs.  Wickham  said : 

"Prepare  tea  at  once,  and  send  Jim  here.' 

When  Jim,  the  black  butler,  arrived,  Judge  Wickham  gave  him 
orders,  and  he  soon  reappeared  with  the  Virginia  nectar,  in  two 
big  goblets,  with  mint  stems  extruding  profusely  over  the  tops. 
As  host  and  guest  sipped  their  juleps,  the  conversation  proceeded. 
Judge  Wickham  told  his  wife  and  Charlotte  that 

"Custis  came  out  at  the  head  of  his  class,  the  first  honor  man/' 

"Just  as  might  have  been  expected  of  the  sqn  of  Colonel  Robert 
E.  Lee,"  said  Mrs.  Wickham. 

"Just  as  I  KNEW  it  would  be,"  said  Charlotte. 

"But,  my  friends,  I  am  more  proud  of  my  record  of  four  years 
at  West  Point  without  a  demerit,  nor  a  reproof." 

"How  like  the  great-grand-son  of  Martha  Washington,"  said 
Mrs.  Wickham.  "Surely  all  of  your  great  ancestors  are  hap- 
pier, even  in  heaven,  to  see  you  growing  into  perfect  manhood." 

"But,  I  am  not  growing  into  perfect  manhood,"  said  Custis. 

"Mother,  dear,  remember  that  flattery  is  not  good  for  young 
men,"  said  Judge  Wickham. 

"Flattery  can  never  hurt  me,v  said  Custis.  "I  am  absolutely 
proof  against  it." 

"Why,  Custis."  said  Mrs.  Wickham,  "it  is  impossible  for  any 
human  being  to  be  unmoved  by  flattery." 

"But  my  armor  is  of  divine  origin,"  replied  the  young  man  very 
earnestly. 

"Now,  Custis,  isn't  that  sacrilege?"  asked  Mother  Wickham. 

"No,  indeed,  it  is  not.  That  is  religious  reverence.  I  can  never 
be  flattered  into  self-conceit,  because  I  know  my  own  inferiority 
to  the  only  perfect  man  living." 

"Why,  Custis,  you  are  talking  like  a  preacher,  and  I  don't  un- 
derstand," said  Mrs.  Wickham. 

"Well,  I  can  explain,"  said  Custis.  "I  have  before  me,  always, 
the  man  whom  I  can  never  equal,  the  hero  of  America,  the  great- 
est soldier,  and  the  typical  southern  gentleman,  too.  I  shall  follow 
his  example,  but  there  can  be  and  there  will  be  no  other  idol  of 
American  hearts." 

"And,  who  is  this  perfect  man,  this  great  soldier,  this  typical 
southern  gentleman?  Tell  us,  Custis." 

"General  Scott  has  described  him,  spoken  of  him  as  the  master 
military  mind  of  this  age.  His  wife,  his  children,  and  all  who 
know  him  pronounce  him  typical  in  all  manly  virtues  and  powers." 

49 


"But,  Custis,  is  there  such  a  man?" 

"Yes,  there  is  such  a  man.     It  is  my  noble  father,  Colonel 
Robert  Edward  Lee." 

DIPLOMACY  AT  HOME 

While  Cadet-Lieutenant  George  Washington  Custis  Lee  was 
starting  for  the  Wickham  home,  in  July,  1854,  his  father,  Colonel 
.  Robert  E.  Lee  was  playing  the  part  qf  a  West  Point  cadet  by 
"walking  his  beat,"  as  his  frequently  facetious  wife  termed  it. 
The  Colonel  was  walking  from  the  big  front  steps  of  the  big  front 
yard,  all  around  the  big  mansion  to  the  big  back  yard.  Colonel 
Lee  was  also  indulging  his  well-known  habit  of  "letting  down  and 
hauling  up"  with  the  pulley  rope  of  the  splendid  and  still  inex- 
haustible, well.  Where  water  was  a-plenty  Colonel  Lee  was  always 
a  heavy  drinker.  So,  as  he  walked  and  walked,  he  frequently 
stopped  and  drank  from  "the  old  oaken  bucket  that  hung  in  the 
well." 

Disappearing  afar  off  on  the  road  amidst  the  trees,  he  could  see 
Custis,  graceful  always  on  horseback,  accompanied  by  his  wor- 
shipful valet,  a  negro  only  a  few  years  older  than  Custis,  who  had 
been  serving  "the  young  master"  from  the  days  of  short  pants  and 
close-fitting  round-a-bouts.  On  each  trip,  as  he  turned  the  corner 
of  the  Mansion,  the  Colonel  halted,  looked  after  his  son,  and 
walked  on  to,  the  well,  "with  the  dairy-house  nigh  it;"  and  then 
back  again.  At  last,  as  he  was  "getting  on  her  nerves,"  he  was 
hailed  by  the  mistress  of  the  manse,  with  the  ancient  taunt:  "a 
penny  for  your  thoughts." 

"I'm  thinking  of  that  foolish  boy.  I'm  wondering  how  to 
circumvent  or  surround  him,  and  capture  him.  He's  running  right 
into  an  ambush,  and  I  know  that  he  won't  heed  a  warning.  I 
must  capture  him  before  he  is  captured.  You  know  what  ails  the 
foolish  boy,  don't  you?" 

"No,  Robert,  I  don't  know  it.  Custis  is  not  a  foolish  boy,  but  a 
very  sane  young  gentleman,  and  very  safe,  too." 

"But,  Mary  Ann,  don't  you  see  that  he  has  courtship,  love, 
marriage  and  all  of  the  sequences,  right  before  him?  We  will 
lose  him,  and  he  will  throw  away  his  great  career.  He  is  shadow- 
ing the  rainbow  of  hope,  and  the  rainbow  of  promise,  with  clouds." 

"Now,  Robert,  you  may  apprehend  that  Custis  will  not  obey  the 
orders  of  his  father  much  longer;  but  I  can  assure  you  that  he 
will  not  and  don't  intend  to  get  away  from  his  mother's  apron 
strings.  Moreover,  Robert,  I  can  assure  you  that  he  can't  get 
away  from  his  mother's  apron  strings.  I've  been  weaving  them 
carefully  for  years,  and  they  are  strong  enough  for  any  emer- 
gency." 

r>0 


' 

"What  does  he  care  for  a  mother's  apron  strings  ?  Why,  Mary 
Ann,  a  woman's  apron  strings  are  imaginary,  anyway." 

"Well,  Robert,  maybe  they  are,  ordinarily ;  but  my  apron  strings 
are  ca'bles.  You've  never  tried  them  yourself,  Robert." 

"Well,  of  all  the  mysteries  on  earth,"  exclaimed  Colonel  Lee, 
"I've  never  been  able  to,  fathom  the  wild,  baseless  logic  of  the 
ladies.  You  beg  the  question,  always,  by  jumping  to  another  sub- 
ject. I'm  not  worrying  about  your  apron  strings.  I'm  worrying 
about  Custis.  He's  in  love,  and  that's  no  condition  for  a  soldier 
with  his  spurs  and  eagles  yet  to  win." 

"Well,  Robert,  Custis  is  now  a  lawful  citizen,  full  grown,  and 
capable  o,f  doing  his  own  thinking  and  fully  capable  of  reaching 
his  own  conclusions.  Why  worry?" 

"Can't  you  see,  Mary  Ann,  his  stimulated  eyes,  his  blushing 
cheeks.  That  snip  of  a  girl  is  not  sixteen.  Now,  Mary  Ann,  you 
know  that  she  won't  do." 

"Won't  she,  Robert  dear?  Don't  be  so  sure  of  that.  My 
grand-father  married  Eleanor  Calvert  when  she  was  only  sixteen ; 
and  surely  Nellie  Custis  was  a  success,  a  wonderful  success." 

"Yes,  Mary  Ann,  your  grand-mother  was  a  marvelous  woman ; 
but  she  was  an  exception." 

"Oh,  well,  Robert,  there  are  other  exceptions.  My  own  mother 
was  only  sixteen  when  she  came  to  this  mansion  as  a  bride.  She 
has  been  a  success  in  every  way. 

"But  Charlotte  Wickham  is  a  mere  child.  She  can't  make  a 
man  of  Custis." 

"Now,  take  a  little  time  for  reflection,  Robert.  Charlotte  has 
good  material  to  work  on.  Custis  is  not  common  clay.  He  is  as 
good  as  the  material  that  I  have  been  moulding  for  a  quarter  of  a 
century. 

"Of  course,  Many  Ann,  I  know  that  as  well  as  you  do.  But  he 
will  need  a  good  moulder,  not  a  blonde  baby  in  pantalettes." 

"That  is  mean,  Robert,  positively  mean.  Charlotte  will  have 
intuition  and  common  sense  to  play  her  part,  just  as  a  young  lady 
did  right  here  on  this  portico  in  1830  when  a  foolish  boy  came 
from  West  Point,  proud  of  his  new  uniform,  and  made  love  to 
the  girl  who  could  see  and  foresee  that  she  could  make  a  real 
worth-while  man  of  him." 

Then  Mary  Ann  Lee  turned  and  called  to  Bow-legs,  the  ready 
and  always  smiling  valet,  saying:  "Bowly,  bring  your  master's 
pipe." 

Then  she  smiled  at  her  beloved  husband  and  said:  "Robert, 
it  is  time  for  you  to  go  and  consult  your  oracle.  Bowly,  bring  the 
oracle !" 

As  he  received  the  long-stemmed  pipe  Colonel  Lee  stepped  back- 
ward toward  his  big  chair  under  the  tree  and  said :  "The  enemy 

51 


is  appearing  in  great  force  on  the  horizon,  and  I  will  now  retire 
while  I  can  retire  in  good  order." 

And  that  was  all  there  was  of  that. 

Then  "Rooney"  came  to  his  mother.  Almost  as  tall  as  his 
father,  growing  stout,  too,  this  second  son  of  Robert  and  Mary 
Ann  Lee  was  sixteen  years  of  age,  and  his  mother  had  always 
"baby-ed"  him.  He  'brought  an  Indian-made  buck-skin  hassock 
and  sat  upon  it,  beside  his  mother,  and,  looking  up  at  her,  began 
very  earnestly  to  tell  his  troubles,  saying : 

"Some  day,  Mother,  and  soon,  I  want  you  to  do  something  for 
me,  and  you  will,  won't  you?" 

"Why,  I'll  do  what  you  want  right  now.  'Rooney,'  if  you'll  tell 
me  all  about  it.  What  is  it?" 

"Nothing  for  Pop  to  hear,"  the  big  boy  replied  in  a  whisper, 
with  a  cautious  raising  of  his  hands.  "Pop  wouldn't  understand. 
You  know  Pop  is  too  military  and  too  soldier-like.  But  you'll 
understand." 

"Come  along  with  me,"  exclaimed  his  mother.  "Cqme  on, 
'Rooney,'  and  walk  your  father's  beat  with  me  for  a  while. 
We  won't  let  the  grass  grow  up  on  it." 

After  they  had  turned  the  corner,  his  mother  took  his  arm,  and 
he  told  his  secret  to  her,  saying : 

"I  wanted  to  ask  Custis,  but  I  was  ashamed  to  ask  him.  So, 
now  I  want  you  to  tell  Charlotte  Wickham  for  me,  that  I  love 
her,  and  I  don't  want  her  to  go  off  and  get  married.  I  want  her 
to  wait  for  me." 

Now,  while  she  was  thinking  of  Custis  and  of  Charlotte,  her 
husband  had  just  been  telling  to  her  his  troubles,  and  here  came  • 
'Rooney'   with   another  problem    for   diplomacy.      She   stopped, 
kissed  the  anxious  lad,  who  was  suffering  with  his  first  attack, 
and  then  she  frankly  threw  forth  the  facts,  saying: 

"Why,  my  baby  boy  'Rooney,'  you  are  only  one  year  older  than 
Charlotte ;  yes,  less  than  a  year.  It  will  'be  five  or  six  years  be- 
fore you  can  really  think  of  marriage.  Lots  of  things  will  hap- 
pen in  five  or  six  years.  Charlotte  is  not  likely  to  wait  that  long 
for  any  one.  Every  one  that  sees  her  falls  in  love  with  her, 
women  as  well  as  men.  Inside  of  five  or  six  years,  Charlotte  will 
have  to  accept  some  man,  or  else  she  will  have  to  refuse  a  hun- 
dred, or  more." 

"But,  mother,  can't  she  be  told,  and  asked  to  wait?" 

"Why,  my  boy,  I'm  so  glad  you  came  to  your  mother  about  it, 
for  your  mother  knows  and  understands.  Charlotte  is  a  grown 
woman  now,  and  old  enough  to  be  married.  My  own  mother 
was  only  sixteen  when  she  was  married  to  your  dear  grand-father. 
If  any  boy  of  sixteen  or  seventeen  should  come  to  her  with  a  love 
story — I  mean  any  boy  except  one  she  likes  as  well  as  she  likes 

52 


you — if  any  other  boy  should  go  to  her  with  a  love  story,  she 
would  just  laugh,  and  laugh  and  laugh.  I'm  afraid,  my  boy, 
that  she  would  even  laugh  at  you,  too.  No,  no,  no,  you'd  better 
wake  up  and  get  up;  or  else  turn  over  on  your  side,  for  you've 
been  dreaming,  and  it's  likely  to  become  a  nightmare,  if  you  don't 
wake  up." 

"Rooney"  leaned  his  face  over  on  the  shoulders  of  the  dear 
mother  that  he  loved  so  well,  and  wept  like  a  child ;  like  the  big 
child  that  he  was.  While  he  was  still  sobbing  out  his  first  great 
grief,  the  voice  of  his  father  was  heard,  saying : 

"Come  off  of  my  beat.  You  two  are  up  to  mischief  of  some 
kind.  Come  off  of  my  beat." 

"Run  along,  dear  'Rooney'  and  cry  it  out  under  the  trees,"  said 
his  very  affectionate  mother,  as  she  gently  and  lovingly  pushed 
him  away  towards  the  big  spring,  and  the  home  diplomat  re- 
turned to  engage  in  a  cheerful  chat  with  the  Colonel. 

CUSTIS  WAS  A   HUMORIST 

We  must  now  return  to  the  Wickham  home,  and  see  the  young 
soldier  in  happy  mood,  the  welcome  guest  of  a  superior  family; 
a  family  in  which  Charlotte  was  not  alone  in  her  anticipation 
that,  some  day,  Custis  would  be  one  of  the  family.  Judge  Wick- 
ham,  reverting  to  the  encomium  that  Custis  had  utered  concern- 
ing his  father,  said: 

"Custis,  that  is  a  noble  sentiment  that  you  have  uttered  con- 
cerning your  father;  the  soldier  of  whom  all  Virginians  are 
proud." 

"It  is  only  what  is  due  to  my  father,"  said  Custis. 

"Very  true,"  said  Judge  Wickham,  "but  few  sons  appreciate 
their  fathers.  I  wish  that  I  had  a  son  like  you." 

"So  do  I,  Papa,"  said  Charlotte. 

Mrs.  Wickham  said:  "Custis,  with  such  an  ideal  before  you, 
we  may  expect  you  to  be  another  Washington,  the  typical  Ameri- 
can who  never  told  a  lie ;  whose  name  you  wear  so  well." 

Custis  smiled,  and  said :  "But  may  be  his  biographer  did  some 
lying." 

"But,  Custis,  don't  you  believe  that  story  about  Washington 
never  telling  a  lie?"  inquired  Charlotte. 

"I  can't  say  that  1  doubt  it,  exactly,"  said  Custis.  "Washing- 
ton may  have  lived  without  having  told  a  lie.  He  had  one  great 
advantage  over  modern  soldiers." 

"What  was  his  advantage,  that  would  have  kept  him  from  ever 
telling  a  lie  ?"  asked  Judge  Wickham. 

"Well,  Sir,  he  never  was  a  West  Point  Cadet." 

Charlotte  asked  "Why,  Custis,  do  you  mean  to  say 

53 


"Joe,"  the  Custis  butler,  exclaimed:  "Massa  Custis,  Massa 
Custas,  Sah, " 

Custis  turned  and  said :  "What  is  the  matter,  Joe  ?" 

"Nawthin,  Sah,  Massa  Custis,  Sah,  Nawthin,  Sah." 

"What  is  it  Joe,  what's  on  your  mind?" 

"Nawthin,  Sah,  Massa  Custis,  Ah  was  jess  thinkin',  Sah,  dat 
you  all  nevah  tole  no  lie,  nevah  Sah,  Massa  Custis,  cause  I  always 
backs  yo  up,  Massa  Custis,  Sah,  don't  I?" 

Custis  smiled  and  said :  "Now  Joe,  you  can  back  up  into  the 
kitchen." 


THE  COLONEL  SURRENDERS 

Colonel  Lee  was  trying  to  solve  a  problem  and  he  never  went 
to  bed  with  a  real  problem  unsolved,  if  it  was  solvable.  Concern- 
ing Custis,  and  his  intentions  for  the  immediate  future,  Colonel 
Lee  was  intensely  interested.  He  could  not  throw  off  from  his 
mind  and  take  up  any  other  subject  until  that  problem  was 
solved.  Before  going  to  bed,  before  sundown,  if  possible,  he  was 
determined  to  reach  a  conclusion  and  write  upon  the  last  page  of 
his  problem,  after  the  solution,  quod  demonstrandum  erat.  And 
so,  after  evoking  several  additional  crisp  statements  in  defense  of 
Custis  and  Charlotte,  he  said: 

"Well,  as  you  seem  to  favor  this  match,  and  seem  to  believe  that 
Charlotte  is  the  proper  life  companion  for  Custis,  I  can  count 
on  no  assistance  from  you  in  checkmating  or  capturing  Custis. 
But  I  am  confident  that  I  must  break  off  this  affair,  before  it 
goes  any  farther." 

"Why  Robert,  dear,  you  may  as  well  try  to  dam  up  the  Potomac 
river  with  a  horse-fly  net.  Mortal  man  cannot  accomplish  the 
impossible.  If  ever  we  agree  to  break  off  this  association,  it 
will  be  I  and  not  you  that  can  accomplish  the  result." 

"On  the  contrary,"  said  Colonel  Lee,  "I  believe  that  I  can 
call  off  Custis,  although  it  may  be  a  little  hard  on  him." 

"Yes,  Robert  dear,  and  heart-breaking  on  me,  too.  When  you 
set  your  mind  on  a  matter,  you  must  succeed  if  you  have  to  blow 
up  all  of  the  world.  You  are  a  soldier,  a  tactician,  a  campaigner, 
but  I  can  see  clear  through  your  plan  in  this  campaign.  It  will 
only  end  in  failure  and  in  probable  disaster." 

"If  you  can  read  my  thoughts  so  well,  tell  me  what  my  cam- 
paign is  to  be,  and  I'll  surrender  to  you,"  said  Colonel  Lee,  with 
the  faint  trace  of  a  smile  of  affection  lightening  his  determined 
face. 

"Why,  Robert,  that's  easy.  You  intend  to  go  to  General  Scott 
and  have  Custis  ordered  away  out  in  the  west,  where  you  used  to 
be.  You  plan  that  it  will  take  him  away  from  Charlotte,  will  do 

54 


Custis  no  harm,  give  him  a  valuable  experience  which  he  don't 
need,  and  that  Charlotte  will  then  marry  another ;  but  she  won't." 
Colonel  Lee  arose,  kissed  his  wonderful  wife,  and  said : 
"Mary  Ann,  my  sweetheart,  I  surrender.    That's  easy  though, 
for  I'm  getting  used  to  it  around  home." 

"Why  Robert,"  said  Mrs.  Lee,  "that  course  would  weld  them 
together  so  fast  that  nothing  but  death  would  part  them.  Char- 
lotte would  live  on  and  live  on  with  no  God  before  her  daily  life 
but  Custis  Lee.  She  would  be  as  loyal  to  him  as  the  sacrament 
of  marriage  could  make  her.  She  would  be  utterly  dead  to  the 
world  of  society.  She  would  go  nowhere,  see  no  one,  and  spurn 
any  attentions  from  other  men." 

"Now  it  seems  to  me  that  you  are  drawing  heavily  on  your 
imagination,"  said  the  Colonel. 

CONFESSING  HER  FIRST  LOVE 

"On  the  contrary,  Robert,  I  know  all  about  it.  I  had  just  such 
an  experience  myself,  with  the  first  man  that  I  loved,  and  nothing 
on  earth  could  have  driven  me  away  from  him. 

"Well,  well,  well,"  said  Colonel  Lee.  "Now  that  you  have 
mentioned  it  yourself,  please  tell  me  more  about  the  first  man 
that  you  loved  so  well ;  that  you  had  to  fight  for.  I'm  not  jealous, 
but  curious." 

"Well,  I  don't  mind  telling  you  Robert;  but  men  are  always 
jealous,  and  sometimes  mighty  mean  about  it,  too." 

"I'm  too  old  to  be  jealous.  But,  my  dear  Mary  Ann,  I'm  wild 
with  curiosity.  Did  your  parents  object  to  him?" 

"No,  only  my  prudent  father.  My  mother  did  not  object.  She 
would  listen  to  me.  But  father  objected,  and  it  was  hard  for  me 
to  keep  my  hero  from  knowing  it." 

"What  became  of  him,  though,  if  you  couldn't  give  him  up? 
How  did  you  break  off  with  him?" 

"I  didn't  break  off  with  him.  My  mother  had  some  influence 
with  my  father,  as  a  good  and  true  wife  always  ought  to  have. 
My  mother  brought  my  father  to  his  senses,  and  so  I  married 
the  young  man.  That's  the  best  way  to  settle  real,  genuine  love 
affairs." 

CUSTIS    AND   CHARLOTTE 

remained  on  the  veranda  for  a  little  while  and  then  in  the  Wick- 
ham  carry-all  went  a-visitin'  the  Fitzhughs,  near  neighbors ;  and, 
returning  in  the  moonlight,  Charlotte  began  her  investigation  of 
the  heart  of  Custis,  asking: 

55 


"Custis,  now  that  you  never  will  go  to  school  any  more,  of 
course  you  will  soon  be  married;  won't  you?" 

"No,  Charlotte,  not  for  a  very  long  while." 

"I'm  glad  of  that  Custis,"  said  Charlotte. 

"Why,  tell  me  why  you're  glad  of  it?" 

Charlotte  answered,  laughingly:  "For  two  reasons.  First,  no 
ordinary  girl  is  good  enough  for  you;  and,  second,  because  I'd 
want  to  name  the  girl,  when  the  time  comes.  Now,  Custis,  what 
are  your  reasons?" 

"I  have  many  reasons.  First,  a  Second  Lieutenant  in  the  army 
is  a  dressed  up  Nobody.  Second,  a  First  Lieutenant,  is  a  respec- 
table Nobody,  and  is  spoken  to  and  of  by  his  rank,  but  usually 
as  'Loot.'  Next,  only  when  a  man  has  a  double  bar  on  his  shoul- 
der, and  is  known  as  Captain,  is  he  a  Sombody  in  the  army.  It 
takes  years  to  get  double  bars  and  be  called  Captain,  and  be  a 
Somebody  in  the  army;  and  the  girl  I  love  shall  not  marry  a 
Nobody.  It  may  take  years,  but  when  the  girl  I  love  is  married 
she  will  marry  a  Somebody;  a  Captain." 

Dismounting,  they  entered  the  mansion,  and,  very  soon,  Mother 
Wickham  escorted  Charlotte  to  her  room.  Judge  Wickham  and 
Custis  were  seated,  and  the  Judge  rang  for  "Jim"  who  answered, 
and  the  Judge  said : 

"Custis,  will  you  join  me  in  a  night-cap  before  retiring?" 

Custis  bowed,  but  remained  and  continued  talking  about  West 
Point  and  other  matters  for  another  hour,  until  Judge  Wickham 
said,  somewhat  suggestively, 

"I  beg  your  pardon,  Custis,  but  that  night-cap  was  not  a  real 
night-cap,  after  all.  We  usually  go  to  bed  after  taking  a  night- 
cap." 

Custis  said:  "No,  General  Wickham,  not  yet.  The  Virginia 
night-caps  always  have  two  strings,  don't  they?" 

The  Judge  called:  "Jim,  bring  those  other  juleps." 

ROMANCE  IN  THE  AIR 

On  a  morning  in  May,  1857.  At  the  Wickham  home.  Judge 
Wickham,  on  the  broad  veranda,  was  walking  back  and  forth. 
After  a  while  he  went  to  the  door  and  called  to  the  ladies, 
upstairs,  for  "Jim"  was  outside  the  gate,  with  the  horses  and 
the  handsome  coach  ready  for  driving. 

Ustairs.  Mrs.  Wickham  was  saying :  "We  should  do  our  shop- 
ping in  Baltimore;  and  not  in  Washington.  You  will  not  see 
Custis,  for  he  is  in  charge  of  engineering  at  Fort  Washington." 

"But,  Mother,"  replied  Charlotte,  using  an  old-fashioned  and 
sizeable  handkerchief  over  her  tear-dimmed  eyes;  "but,  Mother, 
you  know  that  Custis  goes  to  Washington  and  reports  to  the 


War  Department.  We  can  do  our  little  shopping  in  Washington 
just  as  well." 

They  went  downstairs,  and  coming  out  on  the  veranda,  Mrs. 
Wickham  said:  "We  have  concluded  to  do  our  shopping  in 
Washington,  although  we  may  not  do  so  well  as  in  Baltimore, 
but,  we  must  not  neglect  our  lonely  old  friend  at  Arlington,  and 
we  can  call  there,  thus  making  a  double  journey  in  one."  Then 
they  departed,  on  a  beautifully  embowered  road. 

Earlier,  the  same  morning  Lieutenant  Custis  Lee,  at  Fort 
Washington,  on  the  Potomac  river,  started  on  horseback  for 
Washington  City. 

At  Arlington  Mansion,  William  Henry  Fitzhugh  ("Rooney") 
Lee  and  his  grand-father  were  together  on  the  portico,  when 
the  Wickhams  arrived  there,  on  their  way  to  Washington. 

"Rooney"  asked  Charlotte  to  drive  to  town  with  him  in  his 
new  buggy;  a  present  from  Grand-pa.  And,  the  old  gentleman 
took  Charlotte's  place  for  a  ride  to  the  city,  for  recreation. 

On  the  way,  "Rooney"  pleaded  with  Charlotte  to  "see  Custis 
for  me  and  have  me  appointed  to  the  army  from  civil  life." 

Charlotte  refused.  Rooney  begged  her  to  do  so,  saying: 
''Custis  will  do  anything  you  ask  him.  He  can't  refuse  YOU." 

Charlotte  interestedly  inquired:    "Are  you  SURE  of  that?" 

Rooney  replied :  "I  KNOW  it." 

Misunderstanding,  and  believing  that  Rooney  knew  that  Custis 
loved  her,  Charlotte  beamed  with  happiness  and  agreed  to  plead 
the  case  for  Rooney. 

As  the  two  vehicles  arrived  at  the  old  War  Department  build- 
ing on  Pennsylvania  Avenue,  near  17th  Street,  the  occupants 
saw,  coming  along  the  dust-road  on  Pennsylvania  Avenue,  Lieu- 
tenant George  Washington  Custis  Lee,  mounted  and  in  uniform ; 
the  uniform  dusty  with  the  long  ride. 

Charlotte  went  inside  the  building  with  Custis,  took  him  by 
the  arm,  and  in  the  corridor  insisted  that  Custis  make  some  effort 
at  once  to  get  Rooney  into  the  army  as  a  second  lieutenant. 
Custis  hesitated,  but  finally  said : 

"I  will  ask  General  Scott  about  it." 

Charlotte  clasped  the  hand  of  Custis  in  both  of  her  own,  and 
standing  on  her  tip-toes,  kissed  him.  She  said : 

"It  makes  me  very  iiappy  to  have  Rooney  cared  for,  and  pro- 
vided for." 

It  never  occured  to  Custis  that  she  wanted  Rooney  disposed 
of,  so  that  there  could  be  no  one  between  Custis  and  herself  in 
their  new  home ;  the  home  which  her  imagination  had  been  pictur- 
ing daily,  for  several  years. 

As  they  came  out  of  the  War  Department,  Custis  said : 

"Charlotte,  I  will  have  double  bars  on  my  shoulders  in  a  few 
weeks,  or  maybe  in  a  few  days." 

57 


"Oh  Custis !"    That  is  all  she  said,  but  she  meant  so  much. 

The  next  morning  Lieutenant  Custis  Lee  called  on  Lieutenant 
General  Scott,  was  admitted,  saluted  and  invited  to  be  seated. 
He  stated  his  case  very  earnestly,  and  the  calm,  kindly-disposed 
physical  giant  listened  with  manifest  interest  to  the  story. 
Finally,  General  Scott  said: 

"I  will  recommend  the  appointment  in  writing.  I  will  see  the 
Secretary  of  War.  I  will  see  President  Buchanan,  too." 

General  Scott  called  on  the  Secretary  of  War,  presented  a  let- 
ter and  said : 

"Mr.  Secretary  here  is  a  matter  very  near  to  my  heart.  I  am 
recommending  and  requesting  an  appointment  in  the  army  from 
civil  life  for  the  younger  son  of  Colonel  Robert  E.  Lee.  You 
know  my  high  appreciation  of  Colonel  Lee,  and  you  know  what 
a  magnificent  soldier  his  son  Custis  has  already  become.  I  want 
to  obtain  your  approval  of  this  recommendation,  and  would  like 
to  have  your  permission  to  go  to  the  President  with  it,  in  person, 
to  make  this  request." 

The  Secretary  of  War  then  read  the  following  letter : 

HEADQUARTERS    OF    THE   ARMY 

8th  of  May,  1857. 

Hon.  J.  B.  Floyd,  Secretary  of  War,  Sir:  I  beg  to  ask  that 
one  of  the  vacant  lieutenantcies  be  given  to  W.  H.  F.  Lee.  son 
of  Brevet  Colonel  R.  E.  Lee,  at  present  on  duty  against  the  Co- 
inanche  Indians.  1  make  this  application  for  the  extraordinary 
merits  of  his  father,  the  VERY  BEST  SOLDIER  THAT  I 
HAVE  EVER  SEEN  IN  THE  FIELD. 

Very  respectfully, 

WINFIELD    SCOTT, 
Lieutenant  General,  U.  S.  Army. 

General  Floyd  gave  his  endorsement.  General  Scott  went  to 
the  White  House.  (There  were  no  wings  to  the  White  House 
then.) 

President  Buchanan  listened  to  the  sincere  appeal,  and  ordered 
the  commission  to  be  issued. 

General  Scott  then  sent  an  orderly  to  inform  Rooney  at  Ar- 
lington. 

TRIBUTE  OF  GENERAL  SCOTT 

The  very  next  morning  an  orderly  came  to  Custis  with  a  written 
order  directing  him  to  report  to  General  Scott. 

After  the  customary  delay  at  the  door,  admission  and  salute, 
Custis  was  directed  to  be  seated,  while  General  Scott  signed 

58 


papers  before  him.  Then  he  ordered  Cusis  to  come  to  him,  and 
handed  to  him  his  commission  as  Captain  in  the  regular  army, 
and,  as  he  laid  his  hand  on  the  shoulder  of  the  young  man,  Gen- 
eral Scott  said: 

"Captain  Lee,  this  commission  carries  with  it  increased  official 
responsibilities.  I  know  that  you  are  prepared  for  them,  and 
capable  of  meeting  every  emergency  as  well  as  any  man  could 
meet  such  responsibilities. 

"But  please  remember  that  General  Scott  told  you  that  your 
responsibilities  are  greater  and  more  grave  than  are  likely  to  ever 
fall  upon  any  other  captain  in  our  army.  You  have  before  you 
the  opportunity  to  render  services  of  increased  value  to  your 
country,  and  you  have  before  you  also,  the  titanic  task  of  living 
up  to  the  record  of  your  father,  a  matchless  soldier,  and  an  abso- 
lutely honest  man.  I  know  Colonel  Robert  E.  Lee,  and  I  tell 
you  now,  as  I  have  told  the  Secretary  of  War,  as  I  have  told 
President  Buchanan,  your  father  is  the  greatest  soldier  now  living 
in  our  country.  He  is  one  of  the  greatest  men  in  this  world.  It 
behooves  a  son  of  Colonel  Robert  E.  Lee  to  have  before  him 
always  the  record  of  his  father,  as  an  inspiration,  a  bright  ori- 
flamme  brighter  than  'the  helmet  of  Navarre.'  ' 

"The  bravest  are  the  tenderest, 
The  loving  are  the  daring," 

and  so  it  was  that  General  Scott  saw  in  the  eyes  of  Captain  Lee 
large  tears  of  pride,  and  then  upon  his  cheeks  the  glow  of  de- 
termination, as  Custis  Lee  said : 

"My  father  is  now  and  always  has  been  my  talisman,  General 
Scott.  Wherever  my  father  goes  I  will  follow ;  and  no  other 
general  could  lead  me  more  valiantly  and  courageously.  But, 
General  Scott,  my  sword  will  be  brighter,  and  my  courage  greater 
by  reason  of  the  inspiration  that  you  have  given  to  me ;  and  I 
will  always  remember,  word  for  word,  what  General  Scott  said 
to  me  about  my  father.  I  thank  you." 

TRAGEDY  THROTTLES  ROMANCE 

No  sooner  had  Custis  reached  his  room  than  he  wrote  a  brief 
letter  to  Charlotte,  because  to  see  her  big  blue  eyes  gazing  ad- 
miringly on  the  double  bars  of  his  rank  would  be  to  him  as 
glorious  as  was  the  Star  of  Bethlehem  to  the  Magi  of  the  East. 
But  the  letter  was  not  sent. 

"Of  all  sad  words,  of  tongue  or  pen, 

The  saddest  are  these : 
'It  might  have  been.' ' 

59 


In  after  years  General  George  Washington  Custis  Lee  was 
destined  to  go  into  battle  frequently;  to  face  death  in  all  of  its 
hideous  battle-field  forms.  But  never  before  in  all  of  his  life 
was  the  man  so  suddenly  surprised,  so  tried  even  to  the  searing 
of  his  soul  as  was  the  young  newly-made  Captain  Custis  Lee 
on  that  day. 

His  "Little  Brother,"  the  newly  appointed  Second  Lieutenant 
W.  H.  F.  Lee,,  came  to  town,  went  to  the  War  Department,  called 
on  Custis  and  immediately  on  entering  the  room  exclaimed : 

"Custis  I've  gotten  the  commission  and  have  been  ordered  to  the 
First  Regiment,  to  go  at  once  to  Utah  under  command  of  Col. 
Albert  Sidney  Johnston." 

He  did  not  know  and  did  not  congratulate  Custis;  and  Custis 
did  not  mention  his  own  promotion.  He  sincerely  and  enthusi- 
actically  congratulated  the  brother  for  whom  he  had  obtained 
the  appointment,  with  the  aid  of  the  wonderful  record  of  Robert 
E.  Lee.  "Rooney"  hastened  to  say : 

"While  I'm  gone,  Custis,  I  want  you  to  look  after  Charlotte 
Wickham  for  me.  Don't  let  any  fellow  beat  me  there." 

Stricken  as  with  a  thunderbolt,  Custis  remained  calm,  as  he 
asked : 

"Why,  Rooney,  are  you  engaged  to  Charlotte;  engaged  to  be 
married  ?" 

"No,  not  yet,  Custis,"  was  the  reply.  "But  Charlotte  knows 
of  my  admiration,  and  I'm  going  to  ask  her  to  wait  for  me.  I 
know  she  will.  It  was  on  my  account  that  she  came  after  you 
to  get  my  appointment ;  and  you  know  how  much  in  earnest  she 
was.  I'll  tell  her  that  you  will  look  after  her  for  me;  for  you 
will,  won't  you?" 

Wonderful,  miraculous,  self-sacrificing  Custis  Lee!  For  his 
"Little  Brother"  then  and  there,  instantly,  quietly,  calmly  Custis 
gave  up  his  love,  his  first  love,  his  only  love,  the  one  sincere  love 
of  his  life  time.  Calmly,  quietly,  he  made  that  sacrifice  for 
"Rooney,"  and  promised  to  aid  him,  as  requested.  No  hero  of 
flood  or  field  ever  did  so  much,  so  grandly,  so  gracefully.  No 
other  man  on  this  earth  ever  made  such  a  heart-breaking  and 
complete  self-sacrifice,  save  One ;  and  Custis  Lee  entered  the  Gar- 
den of  Gethsemane  alone,  quietly,  gently,  strengthened  by  silent 
prayer.  The  clasp  of  his  hand  in  the  hand  of  his  happy  "Little 
Brother"  was  the  assurance  of  the  sincerity  of  a  demi-God. 
The  fraternal  smile  that  "Rooney"  saw  was  sweet,  because  it  was 
saintly;  the  saintly  spirit  of  his  great-great-grandmother,  Martha 
Washington,  who  worshipped  God,  and  whose  husband  was  her 
shrine. 

fiO 


DAMON  AND   PYTHIAS  WERE  OUTCLASSED 

by  the  eldest  son  of  Robert  E.  Lee,  for  the  younger  son  of  that 
well-nigh  matchless  American  soldier. 

"LOVE  took  up  the  harp  of  life 

Struck  on  all  the  chords  with  might ; 
Struck  the  chord  of  SELF,  that,  trembling, 
Passed,  in  music,  out  of  sight. 

After  the  departure  of  "Rooney"  Custis  gave  way  to  his  grief, 
by  walking  about  the  room,  sitting  down,  writing  a  note  and 
tearing  it  up,  sitting  with  head  in  his  hands,  looking  upwards  to 
heaven,  and  saying: 

"God  bless  my  dear  little  brother!" 

Rooney,  in  uniform,  then  hastened  to  the  Wickham's  home. 
With  no  evil  intent,  without  any  idea  of  unfairness,  certainly 
with  no  idea  of  double-dealing,  Rooney  proceeded  to  misrepresent 
Custis,  mislead  Charlotte,  and  ruin  two  lives;  for  Custis  and 
Charlotte  were  indeed 

"Two  souls  with  but  a  single  thought ; 
Two  hearts  that  beat  as  one." 


THUS  HEARTS  ARE  BROKEN 

"Charlotte,  tell  me  something,"  said  the  big-man-size  boy, 
"Rooney;"  and  he  continued,  "If  a  girl  loves  a  man  will  she 
wait  for  him  when  he  is  compelled  to  be  absent?" 

"How  long  must  she  wait  ?"  asked  Charlotte. 

"Well,  if  a  soldier  is  ordered  away,  and  hasn't  the  courage  to 
tell  of  his  love,  and  the  girl  knows  he  loves  her,  will  she  wait?" 

To  Charlotte,  that  meant  Custis,  talking  through  his  brother 
as  a  messenger;  and  she  replied: 

"For  a  soldier  who  loved  her,  but  who  did  not  speak  his  love  the 
girl  who  really  loved  him  would  wait  for  him  no  matter  how 
long,  provided  he  let  her  know  of  his  love  somehow." 

"Then,  Charlotte,  you'll  wait,  will  you?" 

"My  soldier,  my  hero-lover,  may  be  assured  that  I  will  wait." 

That  was  meant  for  Custis,  and  the  message  never  reached 
him,  because  "Rooney"  understood  it  to  be  for  himself. 

When  they  parted,  after  Rooney  had  told  that  he  was  going 
to  far-off  Utah,  away  across  "the  Great  American  Desert,"  the 
happy  big  boy  said : 

"You'll  want  your  soldier  to  be  assured  of  your  love  by  giving 
a  good  bye  kiss  to  me,  won't  you  Charlotte  ?" 

Charlotte  gave  to  Rooney  the  kiss  that  she  believed  she  was 

61 


sending  to  Custis,  whom  she  had  loved  so  long,  and  who  would 
not  marry  "until  the  Captain's  double  bars  are  received." 

Charlotte  did  not  know  that  Custis  was  then  wearing  the  bars 
that  he  wanted  to  show  to  her,  but  did  not,  on  account  of  his 
great-hearted  unselfishness.  He  was  living  the  Golden  Rule, 
as  uttered  by  the  Man  of  Galilee. 

George  Washington  Custis  Lee,  the  man  she  loved  and  the 
only  man  that  Charlotte  Wickham  ever  loved  whole-heartedly, 
was  at  that  very  time  riding  along  the  Potomac  river,  on  the 
Maryland  side  of  that  historic  stream,  on  his  way  to  Fort  Wash- 
ington, then  an  earthwork  but  of  late  years  an  impregnable  forti- 
fication and  a  matchless  offensive  as  well  as  a  defensive  of  the 
national  capital  city. 

On  another  road  leading  to  the  Wickham  home  was  "Joe"  the 
black-skinned  slave  valet  of  Captain  Custis  Lee.  He  was  the 
bearer  of  a  written  message  of  heart-wringing  importance  to  Cap- 
tain Lee,  and  of  heart-breaking  importance  to  beautiful,  innocent, 
trusting,  hopeful,  loving  Charlotte;  who,  by  some  outrageous 
fate  of  ill-fortune  was  to  lose  all  hope  and  happiness  in  this  world 
and  without  cause.  Why  such  things  happen,  in  numerous  lives, 
mortal  mind  cannot  fathom.  But  we  hope  that 

"In  the  hereafter  angels  may, 

Roll  the  stone  from  the  grave  away." 

At  the  Wickham  home,  while  Captain  Custis  Lee  was  on  the 
road  to  Fort  Washington,  and  while  his  valet  was  carrying  to  the 
W'ickham  home  that  taste  of  vinegar,  gall  and  wormwood  in  a 
written  message,  the  innocent,  cheerful,  hopeful  and  girlishly 
happy  Charlotte,  believing  herself  to  be  the  prospective  bride  of 
her  own,  and  the  only,  Prince  Charming,  anxiously  awaiting — 
yes,  impatiently  awaiting  his  coming — went  to  the  window  again 
and  again,  going  up  stairs  at  last  to  obtain  a  farther  view  of  the 
highway.  Back  and  forth  she  ran  to  her  mother  with  chatter  and 
queries,  finally  using  the  words  of  the  ages  of  womankind : 

"He  cometh  not,  she  said." 

But  there  is  an  end  to  all  disappointment,  disaster,  suffering  in 
every  life.  And  there  is  also  an  end  of  happiness  at  some  point 
in  every  human  heart.  And  so  the  end  of  all  earthly  hope  was 
coming  to  Charlotte,  for  "Joe"  appeared,  respectfully  came  to  the 
back  door  of  the  mansion,  delivered  his  message  to  Liza,  and  she 
carried  it  to  the  dainty  little  mistress. 

Smilingly,  hastily,  hopefully  Charlotte  opened  the  wax-sealed 
envelope  'bearing  the  Lee  coat-of-arms,  read  the  brief  farewell, 
and  fell  down  upon  the  floor  in  a  dead  faint.  Mother  Wickham 
was  summoned  and  came  swiftly  to  the  side  of  her  fallen  idol, 
and  almost  fainted  herself,  for  Charlotte  never  could  have  ap- 

62 


peared  more  pale  and  death-like  than  she  seemed  to  the  anxious 
eyes  of  Mother  Wickham,  as  she  laid  prone  upcyi  the  floor,  holding 
in  seemingly  lifeless  fingers  the  perfumed  paper  deathblow  to  all 
of  the  hopes  that  had  been  developing  and  blossoming  in  her  heart 
since  with  Custis  Lee  she  had  roamed  the  meadows  and  climbed 
the  heights  to  pluck  the  first  ripe  flowers  and  bear  them  home  in 
childish  triumph.  These  were  the  brief  and  emphatic  words  of  a 
soldier's  farewell: 

"Dear  Charlotte :  The  condition  of  the  work  at  Fort  Washing- 
ton requires  my  immediate  and  personal  attention.  The  Depart- 
ment will  expect  me  to  remain  there  on  duty  until  I  finish  the 
work,  and  make  that  defense  of  the  Capital  City  absolutely  im- 
pregnable. Awfully  sorry  that  I  can't  be  with  you  all  today,  to 
show  you  my  double-bars.  CUSTIS/' 

When  Charlotte  had  been  restored  to  consciousness,  her 
eyes  were  turbulent  with  the  opening  floodgates  of  grief.  Then 
very  gently  and  sympathetically  Mother  Wickham  said:  "As 
tears  only  can  drown  a  woman's  sorrow,  I  am  glad  that  relief  is 
so  spontaneous.  Cry  it  all  out  now,  Charlotte;  and  then  you'll 
cry  no  more." 

"But,  Mother,  why  didn't  he  come  himself,  instead  of  sending 
his  message  by  Rooney?" 

"Because  he  has  Government  orders,,  and,  as  a  good  soldier, 
he  proceeds  to  obey  orders." 

"But,  Mother,  I  don't  want  any  Government  to  come  between 
me  and  Custis.  You  don't  have  any  one  else  but  your  own  self 
to  give  orders  to  Papa,  and  nobody  else  dares  to  order  him." 

"You  know,  child,  I  never  order  your  Papa  under  any  circum- 
stances. 

Then,  as  innocently  and  unthinkingly  as  though  it  were  a 
comedy  and  not  a  tragedy,  Judge  Wickham  came,  saying:  "I 
came,  Julia  dear,  to  inquire " 

"Never  mind  about  inquiring,  Sir ;  please  go  back  to  your  pipe 
in  the  library.  Charlotte  and  I  are  discussing  grave  problems." 
Judge  Wickham  retired,  and  Mother  Wickham  continued  her 
counsels,  saying: 

"You  should  be  proud  of  such  distinction  and  honor  as  the 
Government  confers  on  Custis." 

"I  am  proud,  Mother  dear,  but  I  am  so  disappointed  that  he 
did  not  come  to  show  us  his  shoulder  straps." 

"Just  think  of  it,  Charlotte.  The  Government  has  sent  Custis 
to  Fort  Washington  on  the  Potomac,  giving  him  charge  of  the 
defenses  of  the  national  capital  city.  Custis  will  make  that  fort  as 
strong  as  Gibraltar." 

(Note,  that  three  years  later  the  same  Custis  Lee  planned  and 

*        63 


prepared  the  defenses  of  Richmond,  and  the  Yankees  never  did 
break  through  those  defenses  because  they  were  impregnable.) 

While  Mother  and  Charlotte  Wickham  were  discussing  their 
grave  problems,  Custis  was  examining  the  hills  and  the  surround- 
ing country ;  then  back  to  his  desk  planning  the  improvements  of 
defenses ;  also  worrying  about  Charlotte  and  Rooney.  Frequently, 
on  the  hillside,  beneath  the  trees,  Custis  fell  upqn  his  knees  and 
prayed:  "Let  this  cup  pass  from  me:"  and  no  wonder,  because 
we  know  that 

"The  groves  were  God's  first  temples 

E'er  man  had  learned  to  hew  the  shaft 
Or  lay  the  architrave." 


WASHINGTON,  LINCOLN  AND  LEE 

While  the  "ragged  regimentals  in  their  worn  continentals"  were 
hungering,  shivering,  freezing,  dying  at  Valley  Forge,  which  was 
the  greatest  because  the  most  renowned  military  encampment  in 
history,  their  commander  went  away  often,  all  alone,  into  the 
wooded  by-ways.  It  is  recorded  that  an  old  blacksmith  noticed 
the  general's  horse  standing  not  far  from  his  shop,  and  he  went 
to  look  for  General  Washington,  followed  his  footprints  in  the 
snow,  hurried  home  and  reported  to  his  wife  that  "Washington 
cannot  be  defeated.  He  has  put  on  the  armour,  the  breast-plate, 
the  sword  and  buckler  of  the  Lord  God  Almighty,  and  he  has 
with  him  the  Lord  God  of  Hosts." 

Senator  Shelby  M.  Cullom  of  Illinois,  whose  young  manhood 
was  enlightened  and  elevated  by  the  friendship  of  Abraham  Lin- 
coln, and  was  in  his  later  years  an  enlightening  and  elevating 
influence  upon  the  yqung  manhood  of  the  writer,  narrated  an 
experience  which  has  never  been  in  print.  It  seems  to  have  been 
lost  in  the  mass  and  maze  of  stories  concerning  that  wonderful 
nobleman  who  lived  and  died  among  mortal  men  in  our  own  land, 
"with  malice  toward  none  and  with  charity  for  all." 

"Senator  Trumbull  accompanied  me  to  the  White  House  one 
afternopn,"  said  Senator  Cullom. 

"Dark  clouds  were  hovering  over  the  horizon  Disasters  and 
defeats  developed  discouragements  day  after  day.  Over  the  minds 
of  statesmen  at  the  Capitql  apprehension  brooded  from  the  rising 
of  the  sun  to  the  going  down  of  the  same. 

"With  the  purpose  of  encouraging  the  serious-minded,  care- 
worn President  who  received  us,  Senator  Trumbull  cheerfully 
greeted  President  Lincoln,  saying : 

"  'Mr.  President,  I  hope  that  you  are  looking  on  the  bright  side 
of  affairs.  On  Capitol  Hill  we  all  wqnder  that  you  can  do  so 

64 


well  in  these  trying  times,  especially  as  you  have  no  precedent  to 
guide  you  in  anything,  judicial,  civil  or  military.' 

"Heartily  grasping  the  hand  of  Senator  Trumbull,  and  also 
clasping  mine,  Abraham  Lincoln  looked  straight  into  the  eyes  of 
the  Senator  and  squarely  turned  toward  me,  and  I  saw  upon  the 
face  of  that  grand  man  a  smile  of  contentment,  peace  and  hope, 
such  as  few  men  ever  saw ;  and  Lincoln  thrilled  me  with  his  man- 
ner and  his  words.  Even  now  the  memory  of  his  wonderful  smile, 
his  confident  manner  thrill  me.  He  very  earnestly  said : 

"  'Thank  you,  Senator  Trumbull  for  every  word  of  encourage- 
ment. But,  please  tell  the  'boys  on  Capitol  Hill  that  I  have  prece- 
dents for  everything.  Tell  them  all  that  I  shall  commit  no  dan- 
gerous error ;  that  I  shall  not  blunder,  because  I  have  precedents, 
and  I  carefully  follow  them.  I  get  my  precedents,  Trumbull,  by 
my  bedside  at  night.  I  get  them  while  I  am  on  my  knees.  I  seek 
my  precedents  then  and  there ;  and  they  come  to  me  from  the 
source  of  all  wisdom.' 

"As  we  were  going  away  Senator  Trumbull  turned  around, 
went  back  and  grasped  the  hand  of  the  President,  saying: 

"  'Abe  Lincoln,  you  are  simply  a  wonder !' 

"Then  the  great  big  man  seemed  to>  grow  even  larger  as  he  said : 

"  'I'm  glad  that  you  think  so,  Lyman.  In  fact,  I  wish  that  all 
of  our  people,  every  man  and  woman  and  child  in  our  beloved 
country,  would  trust  me  and  look  on  me  in  some  sense  as  a  won- 
der. I  do  so  want  their  trusting  confidence  for  the  welfare  of  all 
of  us,  and  not  for  myself.  For,  Trumbull,  'why  should  the  spirit 
of  mortal  be  proud  ?'  " 

"I  have  always  felt  and  believed  that  I  saw  and  heard  Abraham 
Lincoln  in  one  of  his  greatest  moments,  when  his  spirit  was  in 
touch  with  the  Great  Spirit  that  sent  him  to  us." 

And  Custis  Lee,  like  George  Washington  and  all  other  men 
truly  great,  sought  wisdom  at  the  Source  of  Wisdom,  and  found 
it;  for  it  is  written,  "Knock  and  it  shall  be  qpened  unto  you." 

BOUQUETS  AND  JEWELS  OF  MEMORY 

Prayer  is  the  soul's  sincere  desire,  whether  that  desire  shall  be 
uttered  or  unexpressed.  Prayers  are  petition's,  usually  vain 
vagaries  of  solicitation  for  self-interest,  for  self-advancements. 
The  man  or  the  woman  who  has  not  bowed  in  fervent  prayer  has 
not  begun  to  develop  educated  intelligence.  Custis  Lee  did  not 
seek  the  Throne  of  Grace  for  himself.  As  Washington  went  to 
his  knees  in  the  snow,  and  as  Lincoln  went  to  his  knees  on  the 
treeless  prairies,  beside  his  cot  in  a  log  cabin,  and  in  the  White 
House,  each  one  of  them  petitioning  divine  help  for  his  soldiers, 
for  his  country,  for  civilization,  so  Custis  Lee  prayed  that  strength 
and  beauty,  happiness  and  home  might  be  given  to  Charlotte. 

65 


But  for  himself  he  was  as  resigned  and  humble  as  was  the  One 
whose  most  earnest  petition  was:  "Father,  forgive  them.  They 
know  not  what  they  do." 

"The  night  has  a  thousand  eyes, 

The  day,  but  one; 
The  light  of  the  whole  life  dies 
When  love  is  done." 

Thus  it  was  with  Custis  Lee.  Charlotte  Wickham  had  been 
the  light  of  his  life,  his  day-star  of  hope.  She  had  been  his  pillar 
of  fire  by  night,  and  his  pillar  of  cloud  by  day.  But  the  heroic 
soul  was  living  during  all  of  the  following  days  and  years  in 
prayer  and  hope  only  for  her  happiness,  and  not  for  his  own. 
Work,  work  and  more  work  claimed  and  commanded  his  atten- 
tion. But  in  the  silent  midnight  watches  Charlotte  came  to  his 
memories  and  in  the  unconscious  cerebrations  of  his  dreams. 
Always  and  evermore  she  was  appearing  sweetly  to  him  and  lov- 
ingly in  memory.  Dearer  and  dearer  she  grew.  In  the  minds  of 
other  men  bereaved,  the  bouquets  of  memory  are  shorn  of  their 
beauty  and  of  their  fragrance  by  envy,  jealousy  or  revenge.  The 
jewels  of  memory  are  dimmed  into  base  and  'beclouded  glass,  by 
resentments  and  wrath.  But  in  the  mind  of  Custis  Lee  there 
came  brightness,  fragrance,  sweetness,  adoration  and  obeisance, 
in  every  memory  vision  of  the  loved  and  lost. 


HUMAN  HEARTS  AND  CUPID'S  DARTS 

"In  the  spring  a  livelier  iris 

Shines  upon  the  burnished  dove ; 
In  the  spring  a  young  man's  fancy 
Lightly  turns  to  thoughts  of  love." 

It  was  in  the  wonderful  springtime  of  the  year  1850  that  the 
ambitious  youth,  Custis  Lee,  noted  that  Charlotte  Wickham  was 
taking  more  than  a  second  glance  at  him,  that  she  was  seeking  his 
side  from  time  tf>  time  and  leaving  "Rooney''  and  the  games  that 
they  had  been  playing  together  for  so  long  a  time.  It  was  the 
springtime  of  Saint  Patrick  and  of  She-ila ;  the  springtime  of  the 
Potomac  and  Shenandoah  valleys,  the  season  that  seems  an  exact 
duplicate  to  that  springtime  of  beautiful  Ireland,  the  springtime 
that  travel  and  experience  only  can  comprehend.  It  was  the 
springtime  when  some  parts  of  the  country  are  yet  purely  clad 
in  the  white  velvet  raiment  of  winter ;  that  season  when  the  trail- 
ing arbutus  with  its  lovely  blush  of  pink  reflected  the  peach  bloom 
of  nature  on  the  cheek  of  little  Charlotte ;  and  young  Custis  knew, 
as  well  as  Charlotte  knew,  that  each  one  of  them  was  gazing  into 

66 


the  eyes  of  a  soulmate  and  a  helpmate;  that  Mother  Nature  had 
already  proclaimed  that  "they  twain  shall  be  one  flesh." 

In  that  wonderful  springtime,  the  most  wonderful  of  all  the 
seasons  in  the  memories  of  Custis  and  Charlotte,  they  went  to- 
gether one  bright  and  crisp  morning  to  brush  aside  the  soggy 
leaves,  peer  beneath  the  spats  of  snow  and  crush  away  the  lin- 
gering gritty  snow-ice  so  that  they  could  find  those  modest  little 
arbutus  faces  'blushing  and  smiling,  while  they  at  the  same  time 
breathed  forth  that  indescribable  perfume  of  spicy  fragrance 
from  the  roots  in  the  soil ;  blushing  trailing  arbutus  imitating  the 
cheeks  of  human  softness  that  Charlotte  wore  and  that  Custis 
caressed  and  kissed;  wonderfully  beautiful  cheeks  they  were, 
blushing  and  laughing,  and  they  gathered  the  rich  vegetation  that 
was  clinging  to  the  craggy  crevices ;  and  as  they  wandered  home- 
ward Charlotte  was  the  human  trailing  arbutus,  clinging  and  real- 
izing, mere  child  that  she  was,  that  she  had  learned  of  love ;  and 
she  knew  that  Custis  would  always  be  her  own  Custis,  for  she 
knew,  as  all  women  know,  that 

"Men  are  only  boys,  grown  tall, 
And  hearts  don't  change  much,  after  all." 

And  so  it  happened  that  in  the  springtime  of  nine  years  after- 
wards, the  memory  of  Custis  was  bright  as  a  spotlight ;  and  in  the 
light  of  that  memory  he  knew  that  during  all  of  the  days  of  this 
earth  life  and  during  all  of  the  coming  eternity  his  thoughts  would 
turn  to  Charlo.tte  evermore.  Realizing  that  it  "is  better  to  have 
loved  and  lost  than  never  to  have  loved  at  all,"  Captain  George 
Washington  Custis  Lee  did  not  deceive  himself.  On  the  contrary, 
as  he  gave  up  the  love  of  his  youth,  the  only  love  of  his  life,  for 
his  brother,  the  most  knightly  and  noble  man  of  that  age  suffered 
as  only  could  suffer  a  "man  of  sorrows  and  acquainted  with 
grief."  Others  could  not  see  the  crown  of  thorns  that  he  had 
placed  upon  his  own  brow,  nor  could  his  fellow  men  know  that  he 
had  crucified  himself  because  he  so  loved  his  brother  that  he  gave 
up  his  life's  love  for  him  that  Rooney  might  be  contented  and 
happy. 

GREATER  LOVE  THAN  THIS  HATH  NO  MAN 

and  yet,  Custis  Lee  had  other  crosses  to  bear  as  he  went  forward 
on  the  pathway  toward  Gethsemane  and  into  the  garden  alone, 
that  he  might  leave  to  American  history  such  a  life  of  grandeur 
and  self-abnegation  as  to  obscure  with  its  Spirit  of  Calvary  all 
of  the  deeds  of  all  other  American  knights  of  old,  in  the  days  of 
all  days  when  the  most  marvelous,  brave,  bold,  and  heroic  knight- 
hood of  America  was  most  gloriously  in  flower. 

6? 


Thus  it  was,  with  full  realization  of  his  own  everlasting  loneli- 
ness, that  Captain  Custis  Lee  entrained  for  the  Far  West  of  the 
Pacific  coast,  facing  a  future  that  beckoned  him  only  toward  more 
perilous  heights  and  more  Balaklava  heroisms  from  day  to  day; 
for  already  the  war  clouds  were  gathering  and  darkening  the 
horizons  of  all  who  were  capable  of  prophetic  reflections.  Truly 
great  men,  North  and  South,  could 

"Hear  the  loud  alarum  bells, 

Brazen  'bells ! 
What  a  tale  of  terror  now  their  turbulency  tells. 

In  the  startled  air  of  night 

How  they  scream  out  their  affright, 
Too  much  horrified  to  speak — 
They  can  only  shriek,  shriek,  and  shriek, 

Out  of  tune." 


CAPTURING  COMANCHE  INDIANS 

Light-hearted  Lieutenant  "Roonev,"  proudly  wearing  his  new 
uniform,  with  barless  shoulder  straps,  mounted  his  thoroughbred 
after  bidding  goodbye  to  his  proud  mother  on  the  unbounded 
sward  of  the  Arlington  Mansion,  and  down  the  old  military  road 
he  went  trotting,  on  his  first  march  to  the  front.  It  was  in  the 
year  of  the  comet,  1857. 

Over  the  old  national  turnpike  from  Baltimore  to  Wheeling 
all  of  the  soldiers  bound  to  the  battle  fronts  in  the  War  with 
Mexico  had  traveled ;  and  over  that  turnpike  went  Rooney.  At 
Wheeling  he  went  aboard  the  famous  old  racing  stern-wheel 
steamboat,  "The  Tom  Swan,"  there  meeting  with  his  superior 
officer,  Colonel  Albert  Sidney  Johnston,  who  was  afterwards  to 
win  fame  in  the  field  as  a  general  and  find  death  in  battle,  under 
another  flag. 

Together  they  traveled  to  Cairo,  on  the  Ohio  River,  and  there 
they  entered  the  Mississippi  River,  on  which  stream  they  pro- 
ceeded to  Saint  Louis.  On  that  broad  stretch  of  water  the  Queen 
of  the  Ohio  River  ran  an  exciting  race  with  the  old-line  Missis- 
sippi racer,  "The  Sucker  State,"  the  singular  name  being  the 
nick-name  of  the  State  of  Illinois ;  and  the  race  was  won  by 
the  Ohio  River  speeder.  From  the  steamer's  decks  they  could 
see  the  comet  in  the  sky. 

Then  on  a  slow  meander  they  ascended  the  Missouri  River, 
and"  traveled  from  Fort  Leavenworth  to  Fort  Riley — a  trip  which- 
was  really  exciting  to  young  Rooney,  who  had  never  before  seen 
the  boundless  and  trackless  prairies  of  the  "Great  American 
Desert,"  as  that  region,  then  unexplored,  was  generally  known. 
Nor  had  Rooney  ever  seen  cavalry  troops  equipped  for  campaign- 

68 


ing  and  accompanied  'by  tremendous  supply  trains;  for,  in  those 
days  of  the  western  frontier,  it  was  necessary  for  the  troops  to 
carry  with  them  food  for  themselves  and  their  horses.  Those 
prairies  were  indeed  as  foodless  as  Sahara  itself;  worse,  indeed, 
for  there  were  no  such  houses  of  refuge,  no  oases  at  all.  It  was 
a  wonderful  experience  for  the  young  lieutenant,  in  the  year  of 
the  comet  of  '57. 

Colonel  Johnston  led  his  regiment  across  the  plains  to  Salt  Lake 
City,  and  there  the  men  saw  the  original  Mormon  Temple,  which 
was  an  enlarged  duplication  of  their  great  Temple  at  Nauvoo, 
Illinois,  in  the  earlier  years  of  their  newly-established  religion. 

On  their  way  tremendous  herds  or  hordes  of  buffaloes  were 
seen  and  many  of  them  were  killed  for  food.  There  were  two 
encounters  with  Indians,  both  of  them  at  night,  when  the  savages 
attempted  to  stampede  the  horses  and  cattle,  and  to  rob  the  supply 
train.  Those  were  exciting  occasions  for  the  young  lieutenant, 
who  had  known  nothing  but  ease  and  comfort,  nothing  but  the 
gentilities  and  luxuries  of  civilization  in  its  sweetest  cradle,  the 
gentility  of  Old  Virginia. 

Not  many  miles,  away,  but  beyond  vision,  far  out  of  touch  or 
communication,  was  Colonel  Robert  E.  Lee,  leading  his  little  army 
in  an  eventful  campaign  against  the  Comanche  Indians,  a  fierce, 
fearless  and  energetic  tribe.  There  were  no  trains,  no  telegraphs, 
no  telephones,  no  wired  nor  wireless  stations ;  nor  any  such  mira- 
cle as  a  man  flying  in  the  air.  So,  without  seeing  or  communicat- 
ing with  his  son,  who  was  only  a  few  miles  away,  Colonel  Robert 
E.  Lee  conducted  his  campaign,  won  his  victories,  subdued  the 
savages,  captured  the  head  chief  and  sub-chiefs,  made  a  treaty 
that  lasted ;  and  then,  he  was  summoned  to  army  headquarters  at 
Washington — summoned  by  letter  that  came  by  pony  express. 

Colonel  Lee  was  greeted  again  as  a  military  hero,  congratulated 
by  the  Secretary  of  War,  by  his  ardent  admiring  military  friend, 
Lieutenant-general  Winfield  Scott,  the  greatest  living  American 
soldier ;  and,  a'bove  all,  by  President  James  Buchanan,  who  pub- 
licly commended  him. 

Then,  out  of  the  West  came  "Old  Ossawatamie  Brown,"  the 
unfortunate  and  insane  philanthropist  who  wanted  to  give  to  the 
negro  slaves  a  freedom  which  they  did  not  seek,  and  did  not  want, 
for  the  word  "liberty"  was  unknown  to,  them.  As  the  greatest 
of  all  freedmen,  Frederick  Douglas,  said,  twenty-five  years  later, 
"The  natives  of  Africa  never  accomplished  anything,  nor  are  they 
likely  to  accomplish  anything,  without  the  aid,  encouragement  and 
co-operation  of  the  white  men." 

Captain  J.  E.  B.  Stuart,  who  had  been  on  duty  in  Kansas  for 
many  years,  accompanied  Colonel  Lee  to  Harper's  Ferry,  where 
old  John  Brown  and  his  followers  were  assembled  in  the  ware- 

G9 


house   afterwards    known   as   John   Brown's   Fort.     They   were 
captured,  of  course,  and  "Old  Ossawatamie"  was  identified  by 

Captain  Stuart,  who  knew  him  well. 

•• 

ROONEY'S  RESIGNATION 

Two  years  of  army  life;  two  years  of  absence  from  Charlotte 
Wickham,  the  girl  who  loved  his  elder  brother,  but  whom  Rooney 
loved  so  that  she  rilled  his  waking  thoughts  and  crowded  from  his 
dreams  all  other  pictures ;  two  years  of  planning  for  wife,  home, 
children,  and  with  Charlotte  in  every  picture,  and  Rooney  resigned 
from  the  army. 

Letters  from  Charlotte,  in  reply  to  his  love  letters,  were  not 
such  warm  responses  as  he  desired.  Rooney  dreamed  of  rivals 
that  never  lived,  save  in  his  imagination. 

Dear  old  Mother  Wickham,  wise,  gentle,  prophetic,  inspired 
BS  she  must  have  been,  sent  Charlotte  visiting  the  Fitzhughs  in 
Warwick  County,  not  far  from  Old  Point  Comfort;  but  Mother 
Wickham  took  the  Judge  with  her  to  visit  the  lovely,  wifeless  old 
gentleman.  George  Washington  Parke  Custis,  and  his  charming 
•daughter,  Mary  Ann  Randolph,  the  wife  of  Colonel  Robert  E.  Lee. 

Only  because  it  was  necessary  to  go  first  to  Baltimore,  and 
next  to  Washington,  did  Rooney  go  to  Arlington  at  the  close  of 
his  trip  eastward ;  and  there,  fortunately  for  him  he  met  Mother 
Wickham ;  and,  it  was  exceedingly  fortunate  for  Charlotte,  that 
she  had  such  a  wonderful  mother,  then  and  there.  Mother  Wick- 
ham took  Rooney  to  the  portico,  to  the  gardens,  the  walks  in 
the  woods,  where  he  wanted  tp  be  with  Charlotte,  but  Mother 
Wickham  entertained  him.  Gradually  she  explained  to  him  that 
Charlotte  did  not  love  him;  that  he  must  go  and  win  her,  but 
not  take  his  conquest  for  granted.  She  never  told  of  Custis; 
and  Charlotte  never  told  of  Custis. 

• 

MOTHERLY  MANAGEMENT 

Mother  Wickham  never  gave  orders  to  her  gentle  husband, 
as  we  have  seen ;  and,  of  course,  she  would  not  presume  to  give 
orders  to  a  son-in-law;  no  indeed.  Kindly  and  very  gently  she 
explained  to  Rooney  that  it  would  be  wise  for  him  to  remain  at 
Arlington  for  a  week  or  two  and  give  Mother  Wickham  time 
to  go  to  Charlotte  and  intercede  in  behalf  of  Rooney.  Her  efforts 
were  disregarded ;  of  course,  in  a  very  refined  and  gentlemanly 
manner.  But,  Rooney  wanted  no  mediator.  He  was  young.  He 
was  self-confident.  Like  every  other  boy  of  22  or  3,  he  was  a 
self-conceited,  self-important,  aggressive  entity;  and  he  pro- 
claimed his  intention  of  leaving  immediately  for  Fortress  Monroe, 
letting  it  be  known  at  Arlington  that  he  was  going  to  see  and 
win  Charlotte,  and  that  he  would  brook  no  delay. 

70 


If  Rooney  could  only  have  known  what  a  strong  character 
dwelt  behind  those  great  grey  eyes ;  he  would  have  heeded  Mother 
Wickham.  He  did  not  know  that  on  the  following  Sunday 
morning  Charlotte  Wickham  was  to  sing  in  old  Saint  John's 
church,  at  Hampton,  Virginia;  nor  that  she  would  be  spending 
Saturday  night  at  the  famous  old  Hygeia  Hotel  at  Old  Point,  as 
the  guest  of  the  Misses  Ashby. 

While  Rooney  was  wending  his  way  to  Richmond  by  rail, 
intending  to  travel  by  steamboat  on  the  James  River  and  through 
Hampton  Roads  to  Old  Point,  the  determined  and  wise  Mother 
Wickham  was  piloting  the  Judge  to  the  little  telegraph  office  in 
the  ancient  hotel  on  the  corner  of  Sixth  Street  and  Pennsylvania 
Avenue,  in  Washington  City. 

Telegraphing  was  something  new,  something  expensive ;  but 
Mother  Wickham  telegraphed  to  Charlotte,  at  Old  Point,  as 
follows : 

''Prepare  to  leave  church;  go  to  Norfolk,  take  first  river 
steamer  for  home.  Calamity  coming  must  be  avoided." 

Charlotte  was  astounded.  She  only  realized  that  something 
terrible  had  happened  or  would  happen.  She  knew  W.  H.  F.  Lee 
by  his  nicknarne  of  Rooney;  but  she  never  dreamed  of  having 
Calamity  used  as  a  cipher  code  for  his  name. 

In  those  days  neighbors  were  neighbors,  and  the  aristocracy  of 
V  irginia  was  one  family.  The  Ashbys  were  fretted  and  worried ; 
but  they  helped  prepare  Charlotte  to  leave  for  home  as  soon  as 
the  church  services  were  concluded. 

It  is  a  tradition  of  the  family  that  Charlotte  sang  on  that 
Sunday  morning  as  no  other  soprano  had  ever  sang  in  old  Saint 
John's;  but  that  the  excitement  of  that  telegram,  followed  by 
the  apprehensions  and  the  anxiety,  marked  the  beginning  of  a 
nervous  breakdown  which  followed  many  days  and  weeks  and 
months  afterwards. 

Judge  Wickham,  with  Jim  attending  him,  went  to  Washington 
to  meet  with  Charlotte ;  and  the  Judge  found  it  exceedingly  diffi- 
cult to  explain  the  calamity  impending,  because  Mother 
Wickham  knew  the  man  habit  of  conversation,  with  juleps.  She 
had  kept  her  own  counsel. 

When  they  reached  home  Charlotte  was  gratified  to  see  her 
mother,  for,  among  other  vain  imaginings  had  been  the  belief 
that  her  mother  was  dangerously  ill.  She  wanted  full  explana- 
tions immediately,  but  did  not  get  them  until  long  after  tea  time. 
Then  Mother  Wickham  explained  to  Charlotte  that  waiting  for 
Custis  was,  had  been  and  would  be  useless.  That  was  all  that 
Charlotte  could  endure  for  one  night;  and  that  was  all  that 
Mother  Wickham  told  her. 

"Mother,  oh,  Mother,  if  I  could  only  have  remained  at  Fortress 
Monroe,  the  companionships  and  the  entertainments  would  have 
helped  me  weather  this  storm." 

71 


"Maybe,  Charlotte,"  was  the  reply;  "but  there  is  a  pending 
trial  that  must  be  met  with  right  here ;  and  here  only." 

"No,  no,  no,  child ;  not  now.  First,  let  all  of  those  tears  have 
vent  until  they  are  gone.  You  must  realize,  first  of  all,  that 
Charlotte  Wickham,  the  little  sweetheart  that  loved  Custis  Lee, 
is  dead  and  buried.  Another  spirit  has  taken  her  place  in  your 
body  and  brain.  I  can  only  talk  further  to  you  when  you  realize 
that  you  are  now  a  woman  of  the  world;  that  you  must  think 
and  act  accordingly.  Go  and  finish  the  necessary  weeping  for 
the  lost  Custis ;  for,  he's  lost." 

MOTHER  WICKHAM'S  WISDOM 

"We  may  roam  throughout  life  and  dear  friends  may  abound. 
We  may  share  of  their  love  as  they  circle  us  round, 
But  nowhere  on  earth  can  affection  be  found 
Like  the  love  in  the  heart  of  a  mother." 

Charlotte  Wickham  was  very  fortunate  in  having  a  wonderful 
mother  particularly  at  that  crucial  period.  While  she  was  con- 
tiuing  from  day  to  day  to  express  her  regret  that  she  could  not 
have  remained  at  Fortress  Monroe,  her  mother  was  emphasizing 
to  her  the  fact  that  Custis  Lee  was  lost  to  her  forever. 

It  would  be  impossible  for  anyone  to  describe  the  heart  throbs 
and  brainstorms  of  Charlotte  Wickham,  because  Custis  Lee  was 
her  Napoleon  of  military  affairs,  her  Lord  Chesterfield  of  society, 
her  Prince  Charming  in  every  respect;  a  character  as  near  per- 
fection as  the  worshipful  admiration  of  a  sincere  and  brilliant  girl 
in  love  could  create  it.  Mother  Wickham  knew  and  did  not 
undertake  to  deny  that  Custis  Lee  was  all  that  Charlotte  had 
imagined  him  to  be,  and  that  he  was  worthy  of  the  affection  she 
had  given  him  from  her  childhood;  but  she  knew  that  Custis 
would  not  stand  in  the  way  of  his  little  brother,  when  the  entire 
impulses  of  Rooney  were  centered  upon  having  Charlotte  Wick- 
ham for  his  wife. 

It  was  not  generally  known  at  that  time,  nor  is  it  now  nationally 
comprehended,  that  the  aristocracy  of  Virginia  was  the  nucleus 
of  a  palpably  developing  nobility  in  this  land  which  was  founded 
upon  a  legal  fiction  which  still  endures,  that  "all  men  are  created 
equal." 

As  the  men  and  women  of  nobility  of  the  monarchial  countries 
marry  only  within  their  classes,  so  did  the  nobility  of  Virginia, 
and  practically  all  of  the  States  south  of  Mason  and  Dixon's 
line,  marry  within  the  limits  of  their  own  classes ;  and  Mother 
Wickham  vividly  described  what  actually  occurred  at  Fortress 
Monroe  when  Rooney  Lee  arrived  there.  Of  course  she  knew 
nothing  of  telepathy,  and  yet  she  must  have  had  telepathic  com- 
munications when  she  explained  to  Charlotte  in  substantially 
these  words: 

72 


"Not  only  is  Custis,  whom  you  love  so  devotedly,  but  also  is 
Rooney,  the  grand-son  of  Light  Horse  Harry  Lee,  the  son  of 
Colonel  Robert  E.  Lee,  the  grand-son  of  George  Washington 
Parke  Custis  and  Mary  Lee  Fitzhugh;  but  both  of  the  boys  are 
great-great-grand-sons  of  Martha  Washington.  With  such  a 
lineage,  Charlotte,  you  must  understand  that  when  Rooney  Lee 
arrives  at  Old  Point  Comfort  all  of  the  girls  of  the  best  families 
of  Virginia  will  be  seeking  recognition  from  him.  It  ill  becomes 
my  daughter,  as  it  would  ill  become  the  daughter  of  any  other 
first  family  of  Virginia,  to  turn  her  back  upon  Rooney  Lee,  espe- 
cially when  our  society  world  would  know  that  there  could  be 
no  other  reason  for  such  an  action  except  a  hopeless  love  for 
his  brother,  Custis,  whom  I  am  sure  will  not  marry  you  nor 
anyone  else,  because  he  has  determined  to  remain  a  bachelor." 

As  a  matter  of  fact  as  soon  as  Rooney  Lee  arrived  at  the  old 
Hygeia  Hotel  there  was  a  buzz  of  excitement  extending  to 
Fortress  Monroe  and  all  over  the  settlements  of  Old  Point 
Comfort.  But  Rooney  Lee  was  not  there  for  social  honor  nor 
distinction.  He  was  still  wearing  the  uniform  of  a  second  lieu- 
tenant in  the  army  because  he  had  not  yet  received  the  acceptance 
of  his  resignation;  and  brass  buttons  were  as  bright  and  attrac- 
tive in  1859  as  they  are  until  this  day.  Having  known  that 
Charlotte  had  been  a  guest  of  the  Ashby  girls,  Rooney  sought 
them  and  them  alone.  When  he  ascertained  from  Mamie  and 
Minnie  Ashby  that  Charlotte  had  returned  to  her  home,  the 
young  man  retired  to  his  room  in  the  hotel  and  declined  to  take 
any  part  in  social  activities.  He  remained  alone  until  the 
morning  when  he  could  obtain  passage  on  a  boat  returning  up  the 
James  River  to  Richmond  and  from  there  to  Washington  by  the 
first  train. 

FLANK  MOVEMENT  OF  CUSTIS  LEE 

Of  course  the  young  military  genius,  whose  engineering  skill 
had  already  attracted  the  attention  of  President  Buchanan,  the 
Secretary  of  War,  and  Lieutenant-General  Winfield  Scott,  was 
well  informed  concerning  the  movements  of  Charlotte  Wickham 
to  whom  his  heart  was  given  eternally,  and  because  of  whom  he 
had  determined  to  remain  a  bachelor,  as  he  did  during  his  long 
life.  Custis  Lee  personally  went  to  General  Winfield  Scott  and 
asked  that  he  be  ordered  to  San  Francisco,  and  General  Scott 
cheerfully  gave  the  order,  saying: 

"The  defenses  of  San  Francisco  need  the  most  careful  atten- 
tion of  a  skillful  military  engineer  and  I  am  very  sure,  Custis, 
that  you  are  the  ablest  military  engineer  in  our  army  today 
excepting  only  your  matchless  father,  Colonel  Robert  E.  Lee, 
to  whom  I  owed  everything  in  achieving  the  successes  that  came 
to  my  army  during  the  war  with  Mexico." 

73 


And  thus  while  Rooney  Lee  was  attempting  to  win  the  girl 
who  loved  his  brother,  and  whom  his  brother  loved  with  such 
indescribable  intensity;  and  while  Mother  Wickham  was  wisely 
reasoning  with  Charlotte,  the  young  lady  received  a  brief  note 
from  Custis  Lee  announcing  that  because  of  an  immediate  order 
from  the  lieutenant-general  of  the  army,  it  was  necessary  for 
him  to  leave  for  San  Francisco  without  delay,  and  that  therefore, 
to  his  deep  regret,  it  would  be  impossible  for  him  to  call  and 
say  "good-bye"  to  her  and  to  the  father  and  mother  whom  he 
held  in  such  high  esteem. 

MIRACULOUSLY   MASTB;R   OF   HIS    SOUL 

You  have  heard  minstrels  singing  "The  days  of  old  when 
Knights  were  bold  and  barons  held  their  sway,"  but  those  days 
of  old  are  imaginary  and  the  Knights  so  bold  are  mythical.  The 
barons  who  held  their  sway  in  the  gradual  development  of  civiliza- 
tion were  robber  barons  and  prodigious  criminals  unworthy  of 
respect  much  less  of  praise.  Our  own  American  knight  errant 
was  clean  and  pure ;  the  master  of  his  own  soul. 

Ever  since  Captain  John  Smith,  Newport  and  the  other  ven- 
turesome spirits  sailed  through  Hampton  Roads  to  Jamestown 
Island,  Knighthood  has  been  in  flower  in  the  United  States ;  and 
on  every  occasion  when  heroism  has  been  required  our  knights 
were  bold,  as  the  vanquished  foeman  of  other  nations  must 
testify  in  their  histories. 

Knighthood,  always  in  flower  in  America,  was  particularly  bold 
and  brilliant,  magnificent  and  chivalric  in  the  days  of  Abraham 
Lincoln  and  Jefferson  Davis,  in  the  days  of  U.  S.  Grant  and  Rob- 
ert E.  Lee;  and  thus  it  is,  particularly  of  the  period  when  our 
knighthood  was  especially  in  flower,  that  we  now  sing  of  arms 
and  a  hero. 

CHARLOTTE'S   MAD   VENTURE 

On  the  morning  after  Mother  Wickham  had  finally  convinced 
Charlotte  that  she  must  not  reject  but  welcome  the  attentions  of 
the  younger  son  of  Colonel  Robert  E.  Lee,  Charlotte  called  for 
a  carriage  and  horses  in  order  to  drive  across  the  country  to 
Ravensworth  for  a  brief  visit  to  Margaret  Dickins.  You  must 
know  that  Asbury  Dickins  was  Secretary  of  the  United  States 
Senate  for  well  night  half  a  century.  His  eldest  son,  Frank, 
married  Margaret  Randolph,  whose  mother  had  been  an  Ashby. 
and  so  Charlotte  was  going  to  visit  one  of  the  bluebloods  of  old 
Virginia  when  she  went  calling  upon  Margaret  Dickins. 

Old  Jim,  the  family  butler,  was  surprised  but  reticent  when 
the  visit  at  Ravensworth  was  concluded  inside  of  five  minutes 

74 


and  he  was  told  to  drive  to  Arlington.  The  order  of  course  was 
obeyed  and  early  in  the  afternoon  Charlotte  Wickham  arrived 
at  Arlington  Mansion  to  find  there  only  the  wife  of  Colonel  Rob- 
ert E.  Lee  to  receive  her.  Custis  was  preparing  to  leave  Wash- 
ington for  San  Francisco  and  Rooney  was  on  his  way  to  the 
home  of  Judge  Wickham.  Of  course  Charlotte  remained  over 
night  at  Arlington  Mansion  and  on  the  following  morning  was 
accompanied  to  Washington  by  the  mother  of  Custis  Lee  whom 
she  had  determined  to  see  before  he  should  leave  for  the  Pacific 
Coast. 

To  the  surprise  of  Custis  Lee  when  he  came  to  his  office  before 
noon  after  having  said  "good-bye"  to  the  Secretary  of  War  and 
General  Scott,  his  mother  greeted  him  on  the  threshold  and  in- 
side the  office  door  he  found  Charlotte  Wickham.  His  mother 
walked  away,  leaving  the  two  young  people  together  while  she 
visited  Miss  Harriet  Lane  at  the  White  House. 

INCOMPARABLE  LOVE  AND  SELF-SACRIFICE 

Without  delay  and  without  the  prevailing  mockery  of  maidenly 
modesty  which  prevails  and  causes  misunderstanding  and  separa- 
tion among  worthy  and  loyal  hearts  in  all  countries,  in  every 
nation  and  in  every  clime,  Charlotte  went  to  Custis,  stood  beside 
him  as  he  arose  from  his  desk,  put  her  hands  on  his  shoulders, 
looked  into  his  eyes  with  her  piercingly  penetrating  big  eyes  of 
baby  blue,  kissed  him,  and  he  clasped  her  in  his  arms.  She  laid 
her  head  triumphant  on  his  shoulder  and  asked,  smilingly  and 
roguishly : 

"Did  you  think  that  you  could  crucify  me  for  nothing  Custis; 
and  why  have  you  tried  it?" 

Wise,  wonderful,  inspired  Custis  Lee!  Ordinarily  no  mortal 
man  could  have  maintained  his  determination  and  divine  purpose. 
But,  Custis  Lee  always  had  reserve  strength  from  some  invisible 
source.  His  life  is  proof  of  the  words  of  inspiration,  attributed 
to  Shakespeare:  "There's  a  divinity  that  doth  shape  our  ends." 

Without  wholly  releasing  his  clasp  of  the  willowy  wonder 
woman,  Custis  smiled  at  her  as  affectionately  as  she  might  have 
wished  or  fore-ordained,  but  he  did  not  return  her  kiss.  Still 
holding  her  as  she  desired,  Custis  replied : 

"My  dear  friend  and  chum  of  childhood,  no  mortal  man  would' 
intentionally  cause  you  pain ;  much  less  crucify  you.  Of  all  men 
I  would  certainly  be  the  last  to  try  to  hurt  you.  And,  of  all  men 
in  the  world  1  am  the  one  who  would  be  the  first  to  defend  and 
help  you ;  even  to  give  his  life  for  you.  So  you  have  been  mis- 
judging me." 

"Then  tell  me  why  you  intended  to  go  away  without  seeing 
me ;  why  you  really  did  go  away  so  cruelly,  because  that  was  your 

75 


course  when  I  came  here,  in  so  unmaidenly  a  manner,  and  inter- 
rupted your  purpose.  What  is  the  cause,  if  there  is  a  cause,  of 
your  utterly  causeless  rudeness  to  me  ?" 

"Be  seated  Charlotte,"  said  Custis  drawing  a  large  office  chair 
towards  him.  As  he  was  gently  lowering  her  to  the  chair,  she 
arose,  leaned  her  head  again  on  his  shoulder,  and  said : 

"I  prefer  standing,  Custis,  just  as  I  am." 

But  as  Custis  put  forth  some  force,  she  yielded,  sat  down  and 
was  almost  lost  in  the  big  leather-covered  office  chair,  which 
was  really  big  enough  for  General  Scott.  Then  Custis  said : 

"Charlotte,  you  are  selfish,  extremely  selfish.  That  is  not  a 
complaint,  nor  is  it  fault-finding.  It  is  merely  an  expressive 
way  of  compelling  you  to  understand  that  you  are  a  woman,  and, 
like  all  other  women,  you  want  your  own  way.  If  you  can't 
reach  the  particular  apple  in  the  particular  tree  that  you  want,  you 
select  the  Adam  that  will  suit  you,  and  make  him  reach  the  apple 
or  climb  the  tree.  That  apple  you  must  have  and  have  it  imme- 
diately in  preference  to  your  soul's  salvation.  You  have  elected 
me  for  your  Adam,  and  would  lead  me  into  the  Garden  of  Eden, 
so  that  I  shall  get  the  apple  that  you  want  and  place  it  in  your 
hands,  even  if  I  only  get  the  core  or  the  peelings. 

"But  Charlotte,  I  am  also  a  bit  selfish.  In  fact  I  am  almost 
meanly  selfish.  I  have  reasoned  out  the  problem  of  life  logically, 
and  am  wedded  to  my  military  career.  I  am  so  wedded  to  that 
idea,  and  so  determined  to  be  successful  in  my  career,  that  I 
am  going  to  San  Francisco  tonight  even  if  I  never  see  my  mother, 
father,  or  other  relatives  again  in  this  world." 

"You  are  selfish,  Custis,  selfish  as  a  fiend  of  Hell,"  said  Char- 
lotte angrily,  and  she  added:  "You  have  deceived  me  and  all  of 
your  friends  for  you  have  always  seemed  to  be  truly  human.  To- 
day you  manifest  an  inhuman  character  that  you  have  never 
revealed  to  any  one  else.  It  is  mysterious,  maddening,  angering, 
and  brutal." 

"My  other  side,"  said  Custis,  smilingly,  "is  a  side  of  my  char- 
acter that  I  have  flattered  you  in  revealing.  Only  to  one  whom 
I  respect,  esteem,  admire  and  love  would  I  so  reveal  my  sel- 
fishness." 

MOTHER  LEE  LEARNED   SOMETHING 

Knocking  at  the  door,  Mother  Lee  entered.  When  Charlotte 
arose,  without  saying  good-bye  to  Custis,  her  moistened  eyes 
were  blazing  with  angry  disappointment,  and  she  said  to  Mother 
Lee: 

"I  will  wait  while  you  say  'good-bye'  to  Custis." 

76 


On  the  way  back  across  the  long  bridge,  Mother  Lee  ventured 
to  ask  Charlotte  if  she  had  quarreled  with  Custis  and  her  reply 


was: 

« 


No,  we  have  had  no  quarrel  but  a  disagreement;  we  do  not 
understand  each  other;  I  do  not  understand  Custis  and  he  does 
not  understand  me.  The  misunderstanding  is  so  great  that  it  is 
not  likely  that  we  ever  again  shall  meet." 

How  true  it  is  that  "Hell  hath  no  fury  like  a  woman  scorned.*' 

Mother  Lee  was  diplomatically  wise,  prudent,  and  knew  when 
she  should  be  reticent;  and  so  she  asked  no  further  questions. 
But  she  was  a  mother,  and  she  noted  that  Charlotte  had  left  her 
glorious  son  Custis  with  abruptness,  not  to  say  rudeness. 
Quietly,  Mother  Lee  resented  that  well-nigh  unpardonable  sin. 
But  she  was  a  hostess,  and  Charlotte  was  her  guest.  Mother  Lee 
was  a  woman  of  the  world  also,  and  it  was  clear  to  her  that  there 
had  been  a  lover's  quarrel.  Of  course,  it  could  not  be  the  fault 
of  her  son;  and,  if  Charlotte  started  anything  unpleasant  in 
•conversation,  Mrs.  Lee  was  ready  with  her  polite  and  well-bred 
defense  of  her  own,  her  first  born,  Custis. 

Before  they  had  reached  the  Long  Bridge  Mother  Lee  had 
noted  the  frequent  sighs,  the  deep  sighs,  and  the  dew  drops  on 
the  peach-blown  cheeks  of  Charlotte,  and  they  had  dampened  the 
fire  of  her  motherly  resentment.  As  they  came  to  the  bridge  one 
of  the  sighs  of  Charlotte  burst  forth  into  an  uncontrollable  and 
.almost  heart-breaking  sob. 

Clatter,  clatter,  clatter  sounded  the  heavy  hoof-beats  of  a  pur- 
suing horseman,  and  they  were  overtaken  by  an  orderly  with  a 
note  to  Mother  Lee  from  Custis.  As  there  was  to  be  no  answer, 
the  orderly  saluted  and  rode  away,  as  Mother  Lee  was  opening 
the  note.  These  were  the  words : 

"Mother,  dear;  be  kind  and  gentle  with  Charlotte  now  and 
always.  She  is  pure  gold.  Always  be  kind  to  her,  and  love  her 
for  my  sake  always.  Hastily,  Custis." 

Without  hesitation,  knowing  her  son  so  well,  and  knowing  well 
also  his  long-cherished  love  for  Charlotte,  Mother  Lee  smothered 
her  resentment,  took  Charlotte  into  her  arms  and  "Mothered  her" 
all  the  way  home  to  Arlington.  On  the  following  day  Mother 
Lee  accompanied  Charlotte  to  her  own  home;  and  there  was 
considerable  excitement  in  that  home  when  the  run-away  child 
returned  with  a  high  fever,  so  that  she  was  obliged  to  go  to  her 
bed  at  once.  The  old  family  physician  was  sent  for;  and  he 
-could  do  no  harm.  But  he  could  do  no  good,  for 

"Who  can  minister  to  a  mind  diseased?" 

The  two  mothers  exchanged  confidences.  Then  they  both  un- 
derstood. They  always  understood ;  and  they  wisely  co-operated 
ever  afterwards. 

77 


THAT  WONDERFUL  WIFE  AND  MOTHER 

"You  have  been  absent  without  leave,"  was  the  greeting  with 
which  Mary  Ann  Randolph  Lee  was  met  when  she  returned  to 
Arlington;  and  on  the  portico  she  saw  the  Colonel,  who  had 
been  at  Fortress  Monroe  when  she  went  away  with  Charlotte 
Wickham.  Saluting  her  formally,  the  Colonel  said :  "Has  it  been 
desertion,  or  French  leave?  State  your  case." 

His  military  salute  was  utterly  ruined  and  his  dignity  sent  to 
the  scrap  heap,  by  a  slap  on  one  cheek,  a  kiss  on  the  other,  and 
then  another  kiss  and  love-tap,  back  and  forth.  The  answer 
was  this : 

"Robert,  dear,  you  can't  imagine  how  glad  I  am  to  see  you 
home  again,  and  just  at  this  time.  I  have  been  carrying  out  your 
most  peremptory  orders,  and  have  accomplished  the  purpose  of 
your  plans.  1  have  been  to  the  Wickham's  and  have  come  to 
report  that  Custis  will  not  marry  Charlotte.  She  has  given  him 
up;  and  he  has  declared  that  he  will  always  remain  a  bachelor." 

Then  the  Colonel  scrapped  some  bit  of  dignity  himself,  kissed 
his  wife,  picked  her  up  bodily,  carried  her  up  the  big  stone  steps, 
and  sat  in  Grand-pa  Custis's  big  rocking  chair,  holding  on  his 
knees  the  girl  with  gray  curls  that  he  loved  so  well,  with  her  arm 
around  his  neck.  And  he  with  hair  and  beard  grown  gray,  too. 
They  don't  give  us  such  pictures  in  the  "movies." 

"But,  Robert  dearest,"  she  continued,  "we  are  to  have  Char- 
lotte in  the  family  any  way.  That  can't  be  helped.  She  is  going 
to  marry  'Rooney.'  What  do  you  think  of  that  ?" 

"Glory  be,"  exclaimed  the  Colonel.  '"Glory  be,'  as  my  old 
Irish  house  man,  'Rooney  Flaherty'  used  to  shout ;  only  'Rooney' 
always  needed  un-corked  stimulant  to  make  him  appear  at  his 
best,  or  his  loudest.  'Glory  be,'  for  I  really  love  Charlotte,  oh,  so 
much.  I  feel  that  Custis  has  before  him  a  military  career  of 
renown.  But  pur  'Rooney'  is  a  home  boy,  and  he  will  make  such 
a  perfect  husband  as  the  perfect  little  angel  deserves  to  have. 
Again  I  say,  'Glory  be'  and  another  kiss  for  you,  Mary  Ann.  You: 
are  an  adjutant  worth  while." 

MOTHER  WICKHAM  ON  GENEALOGY 

Wisely  and  patiently  Mother  Wickham  waited  until  her  recal- 
citrant daughter  could  reason  with  her  own  self  concerning  her 
insanely  selfish  escapade,  and  its  frightful  failure.  Mother 
Wickham  knew  that  each  youthful  brain  will  always  insist  that 
its  reasoning  is  superior  to  that  of  all  others ;  will  resort  to  every 
conceivable  logical  fallacy  to  prove  that  wrong  is  right.  But, 
Mother  Wickham  also  knew  that  after  the  rebellious  renegade 
reasoning  of  youth  has  exhausted  itself  against  the  impenetrable- 

78 


walls  of  eternal  truth,  that  exhausted  youthful  brain  will  seek 
sympathy ;  and  that's  the  time  for  a  Mother  to  step  in  and  fill  the 
logical  gap  with  genuine  sympathy  and  words  of  comfort.  And 
so,  when  Charlotte  began  to  call  for 

MOTHER,  MOTHER,  MOTHER 

her  wails  were  answered  promptly  by  Mother  Wickham  who  took 
to  her  arms  the  weeping  grown-up  baby  girl  who  wanted  to  weep 
her  last  burning  tears  while  those  comforting  arms  were  around 
her.  Charlotte  had  at  last  surrendered.  The  bright  little  girl  was, 
as  Mother  Wickham  had  told  her,  a  thing  of  the  past;  and  Char- 
lotte had  become  a  woman  of  the  world.  Every  woman  knows 
what  a  hard  lesson  that  is  to  learn;  for  every  woman  knows  that 
such  a  lesson  need  never  be  learned  but  for  the  fact  that  this  is 
indeed  a  wicked  world.  And  so,  Mother  Wickham  began  to  teach 
the  lessons  of  family  pride.  She  said : 

"Of  all  the  families  in  the  Old  Dominion  that  trace  their 
ancestry  back  to  the  earliest  possible  beginnings  in  the  old  world, 
the  oldest  family  tree  is  that  of  the  Lees;  for,  Charlotte,  you  must 
realize  what  an  ancient  family  it  is  when  you  know  that  the  Lees 
trace  their  ancestry  back  to  Lionel  Lee,  who  distinguished  himself 
in  the  Siege  of  Acre,  and  who  received  numerous  recognitions  by 
his  sovereign.  There  is  no  family  in  this  country  that  can  point 
with  pride  to  such  lineage.  Remember  also  that  both  Custis  and 
Rooney  Lee  are  related  to  the  Custises,  the  Dandridges,  the  Fitz- 
hughs,  the  Calverts,  to  Lord  Baltimore,  and  to  the  Randolphs. 

"You  cannot  realize  how  proud  I  have  been  nor  how  proud 
your  father  has  been  while  we  were  anticipating  the  marriage  of 
our  daughter  to  the  eldest  son  of  Colonel  Robert  E.  Lee ;  in  fact, 
we  are  dreadfully  disappointed  with  the  change  which  has  come 
over  Custis.  But,  Charlotte,  we  are  just  as  proud  of  a  marital 
alliance  with  the  younger  son  of  Colonel  Robert  E.  Lee;  for  we 
know  that  there  are  many  young  ladies  of  the  nobility  of  Great 
Britain  who  would  be  glad  to  make  and  would  be  proud  of  such 
an  alliance,  for  there  is  no  older  nor  nobler  family  in  all  of  Europe. 
So,  you  must  turn  to  Rooney,  welcome  him,  and  be  proud  of  his 
attentions,  for  his  attentions  are  distinguishing  to  you  and  to 
all  of  us." 

"How'er  it  be,  it  seems  to  me 
'Tis  only  noble  to  be  good ; 
Kind  hearts  are  more  than  coronets, 
And  simple  faith,  than  Norman  blood. 

"Trust  me,  Clara  Vere  de  Vere, 

From  yon  blue  heavens  above  us  bent, 
The  Gardener,  Adam,  and  his  wife 
Smile  at  the  claims  of  long  descent." 

79 


Mother  Wickham  had  never  heard  of  that  philosophy  of  Tenny- 
son, and  Tennyson  had  never  known  of  the  Lees  and  other  aris- 
tocracies that  were  developing  in  our  republic;  and,  of  course, 
Charlotte  knew  no  other  philosophy  than  the  aspirations  of  the 
home.  Argal,  Charlotte  Wickham  became  a  gentle-woman  of  the 
world  as  it  had  been  written  in  the  Book  of  Fate  that  she  should 
be,  and  she  prepared  to  welcome  and  accept  the  younger  son  of 
Colonel  Robert  E.  Lee.  Indeed  she  was  but  telling  the  truth  when 
she  reached  the  stage  of  reasoning  and  realization  and  could 
smilingly  say  to  her  mother: 

"I  have  always  liked  Rooney,  and,  maybe  I  really  liked  him 
better  than  I  did  Custis,  at  first.  Rooney  and  I  could  always  play 
together  and  we  did  play  together  until  after  I  was  12  years  old ; 
and  then  I  began  dreaming  of  Custis  as  my  ideal.  Before  that,  I 
remember  that  Custis  seemed  so  dignified  and  so  much  older  than 
F  was ;  and  so,  maybe  after  all,  I  will  be  happier  with  Rooney  than 
I  should  have  been  with  the  thoughtful  and  dignified  Custis ;  for, 
you  know  Mother,  Custis  hates  dances  and  public  functions." 

WHEN  ROONEY  CAME  HOME 

On  the  way  back  to  Washington,  passing  through  Alexandria, 
Mother  Lee  called  for  a  brief  visit  at  the  home  of  the  other  son 
of  "Light  Horse  Harry"  Lee;  the  home  that  had  been  the  home 
of  the  fatherless  little  Robert  E.  Lee.  There  "Rooney"  had  left 
his  horse  and  his  valet  on  his  flight  to  Richmond,  after  Charlotte, 
and  Mother  Mary  Ann  Lee  gave  orders  to  that  valet  to  tell  his 
young  master  that  he  must  come  home  at  top  speed,  because  his 
mother  requested  it.  She  also  said : 

"Be  sure  and  tell  your  young  master  that  unless  he  hastens  to 
his  mother,  something  terrible  will  happen." 

There  was  only  one  train  a  day,  north  and  south,  between 
Alexandria  and  Richmond ;  and  no  train  to  cross  the  Potomac ; 
so  it  was  necessary  for  "Rooney"  to  stop  in  Alexandria.  From 
there  he  could  go  to  Arlington  or  proceed  to  Wickham's  on  horse- 
back. But,  his  mother  was  keeping  her  motherly  eyes  on  her 
&rown-up  baby  boy;  and  her  motherly  eyes  were  in  close  har- 
mony with  her  motherly  heart;  and,  she  must  see  her  boy  before 
he  went  blundering  into  the  Wickham's,  without  first  having  a 
full  dress  rehearsal  for  his  part  in  that  moving  picture. 

And  so,  as  "Rooney"  was  hastening  pell  mell  homewards,  he 
saw  his  father  in  the  family  carriage  going  towards  the  Long 
Bridge,  on  his  way  to  Washington  to  report  at  army  headquarters, 
as  he  had  been  ordered  to  report,  by  General  Scott.  The  Colonel 
was  on  the  bridge  when  he  heard  the  clatter  of  the  hoofs  of  the 
pursuing  "Rooney,"  and  heard  this  shouting: 

SO 


"Pop,  Pop,  stop  Pop,"  and  the  second  son  of  his  happy  mar- 
riage overtook  the  Colonel. 

"What  has  happened  to  Mother?"  exclaimed  "Rooney"  with 
great  earnestness.  "What  has  happened?" 

"Nothing  serious  enough  for  worry,  my  son,"  replied  Colonel 
Lee.  "But,  something's  going  to  happen  to  you.  But,  be  a  man, 
and  don't  break  down  and  weep.  If  you  shed  a  single  tear,  I'll 
disown  you.  Now  go  to  your  mother,  take  your  medicine,  and 
be  a  man." 

Shocked,  frightened,  "Rooney"  saluted  the  Colonel,  turned  his 
horse  and  hastened  on  to  Arlington. 

Colonel  Lee  had  in  mind  the  picture  of  Cardinal  Richelieu  when 
he  was  sending  De  Mauprat  to  meet  his  sweetheart,  Julie  de 
Mortimer,  and  told  him :  "Go  to  your  punishment.  To  the  tapes- 
try chamber,  go;"  and  as  Colonel  Lee  thus  sent  "Rooney"  to  his 
fate,  he  smiled  and  smiled,  as  he  went  driving  over  the  Long 
Bridge. 

TO  THE  TAPESTRY  CHAMBER 

It  was  a  bright,  balmy  afternoon,  and  Mother  Lee  was  resting 
upon  an  army  cot,  on  the  portico,  when  "Rooney"  came  galloping 
home.  When  he  saw  his  mother  so  reclining,  his  heart  leaped 
and,  but  for  his  father's  command  tears  would  have  filled  his  eyes. 
Hastening  to  her  side,  he  fell  upon  his  knees,  caressed  her  brow 
gently  and  lovingly,  and  asked: 

"Has  there  been  an  accident,  Mother;  have  you  been  hurt;  or 
are  you  ill?" 

"Never  mind,  my  baby  boy;  never  mind,  now.  I  am  not  se- 
riously hurt,  and  I  am  not  ill.  But,  I  am  very  tired.  There  is 
something  on  my  mind,  something  of  greatest  importance.  I  can- 
not tell  you  about  it  now.  You  must  learn  self-control.  It  was 
loss  of  self-control  that  sent  you  on  a  fool's  errand  to  Old  Point 
Comfort,  after  Mother  Wickham  had  given  you  wise  advice.  You 
cannot  have  things  in  this  world  all  your  own  way.  It  is  said  in 
Holy  Writ:  'No  man  liveth  unto  himself.'  You  must  learn  to 
be  unselfish,  to  surrender  your  own  will,  to  what  is  right.  Char- 
lotte Wickham  ran  away  from  you  when  a  telegram  told  her  of 
your  coming.  You  cannot  go  and  steal  from  any  mother  such  a 
priceless  prize,  and  her  only  greatest  treasure.  Charlotte  Wick- 
ham might  be  won  by  some  superior  man ;  but  she  cannot  be  stolen. 

"I'll  drive  over  there  immediately,  and  apologize,"  said  the 
gentlemanly,  well-bred  scion  of  southern  nobility. 

"No,  no,  no,"  exclaimed  Mother  Lee.  "Charlotte  is  in  bed  with 
a  fever.  You  cannot  see  her  now;  and  I  am  very  sure  that 
neither  her  mother  nor  the  Judge  would  want  to  see  you  now. 
As  the  Bible  says  again :  'Repent  ye,  repent  ye.' ' 

81 


Gently  and  kindly  Mother  Lee  sent  her  boy  away,  out  under 
the  trees  to  commune  with  Nature  and  with  Nature's  God.  In 
the  evening,  after  tea,  "Roc\ney"  said :  • 

"Mother  dear,  I've  been  'a  truant  boy,  that  thought  his  home  a 
cage.'  It  is  time  for  me  to  begin  to  be  a  man.  I  could  not  be  a 
good  husband  to  any  good  girl,  until  I  am  more  of  a  man  than  I 
have  been.  I've  been  doing  a  lot  of  thinking,  and  some  praying, 
too.  My  mind  has  been  full  of  comparisons  'between  Custis  and 
myself.  Custis  is  always  doing  or  trying  to  do  something  for  you, 
for  Dad,  for  me,  and  for  the  servants ;  in  fact,  for  everybody. 
I've  been  baby'ed,  Mother,  until  I've  become  merely  an  over- 
grown, selfish,  big  boy.  Mother  dear,  I'm  going  to  be  a  man,  and 
a  man  worthy  of  my  mother  and  father,  and  I'm  beginning — yes, 
I've  begun — right  now.  Help  me,  Mother,  help  me !" 

And  "Rooney"  kept  his  word,  from  that  moment  to  the  day  of 
his  recall  to  the  courts  above. 

His  mother,  wisely,  diplomatically,  and  far-seeingly,  then  said : 

"Rooney,  my  man,  some  day  you  will  have  to  give  up  your 
mother ;  and  some  day  you  will  have  to  give  up  your  father.  Cus- 
tis is  always  giving  up  his  desires  for  others.  Some  day  you  will 
have  to  give  up  all  for  others.  If  you  have  to  give  up  Charlotte, 
on  whom  your  selfish  boy  heart  has  long  been  centered,  then  give 
her  up  like  a  man.  She  is  ill.  The  best  you  can  do  for  now  is  to 
pray  for  her,  and  often.  I  am  so  glad  and  happy  that  my  baby 
'boy  is  now  a  manly  man.  You  must  learn  to  know,  as  Custis 
knows,  the  Man  of  Galilee.  Good  night." 

LIKE  FATHER,  LIKE  SON 

What  Mother  Wickham  knew,  of  course,  Mother  Lee  must 
know ;  and  what  Mother  Lee  knew,  of  course,  Mother  Wickham 
must  know.  Thus  they  cordially  and  wisely  co-operated  for  their 
children.  You  must  try  to  comprehend  that,  no  matter  how  big 
and  how  heavy  they  may  become,  nor  how  old  they  may  be,  the 
sons  and  daughters  of  normal  and  sane  women  are  always  thought 
of,  and  usually  spoken  of,  as  "children." 

Mother  Lee  fully  comprehended  that  Custis  was  the  object  of 
the  natural  affections  of  Charlotte  Wickham,  and  fully  realized 
that  Charlotte  would  not,  because  she  could  not,  transfer  those 
natural  affections  to  any  other  man.  But  Mother  Lee  also  knew 
that  Charlotte  could  be  and  would  be  a  loyal  wife,  a  credit  to  her 
own  family  and  a  credit  to  the  Lees ;  and  "Rooney"  would  never 
know  that  Charlotte's  heart  had  belonged,  almost  from  her  baby- 
hood, to  another.  Consequently,  Charlotte  would  be  a  good  wife 
and  a  creditable  wife  to  her  son. 

Mother  Wickham  fully  comprehended  that  a  scar  across  the 
face,  or  over  the  hand,  or  anywhere  visible,  will  last  forever,  or 

82 


as  long  as  life  shall  last.  Any  scar  is  a  disfigurement.  A  broad 
and  deep  wound  may  heal,  but  the  scar  always  remains. 

Mother  Wickham  knew  that  the  heart  of  her  bright,  brainy  and 
'beautiful  daughter  had  been  wounded;  that  the  wound  was  broad 
and  deep,  so  that  it  was  almost  incurable.  But  "Rooney"  could 
never  see  the  scar,  nor  ever  know  that  a  cicatrix  existed.  Mother 
Wickham  knew  that  Charlotte  must  begin  to  play  a  part,  and  a 
difficult  part,  in  life ;  that  she  must  seem  and  always  seem  to  her 
husband  to  look  upon  him  as  her  first  and  only  love,  while  always 
and  ever  always  her  natural  love  would  forever  be  her  first  love, 
her  love  for  Custis.  But 

"All  the  world's  a  stage, 
And  all  the  men  and  women  merely  players, 

and  so  Mother  Wickham  carefully  and  prudently  encouraged 
Charlotte  to  believe  what  she  was  truly  trying  tq  believe,  that  she 
really  had  loved  "Rooney"  first,  from  childhood,  and  that  he 
would  always  be  more  companionable  with  her  than  the  more  dig- 
nified and  philosophical  Custis ;  and  what  she  knew  she  told  to 
Mother  Lee;  and  what  Mother  Lee  knew  she  told  to  Mother 
VVickman;  and  those  sincere  ladies  were  playing  a  double  game 
of  hearts.  Moreover,  every  play  that  was  made  was  for  the  wel- 
fare of  their  children. 


WINNING  THE  WOMAN 

Thus  it  happened  that  when  Mother  Lee  called  to  "Rooney"  on 
the  morning  after  his  return,  and  asked  him  if  he  would  like  to 
accompany  her  to  the  Wickham's,  "Rooney"  raced  away  after  old 
"Uncle  Tom,"  and  actually  helped  him  harness  the  team  of  big 
bays.  He  was  dressed,  walking  the  broad  portico  for  half  an  hour 
before  his  mother  was  ready;  and  away  they  went  on  their  mis- 
sion of  love,  and  of  adventure.  Mother  Lee  said: 

"Now  that  we  are  near  the  close  of  our  little  picnic  trip,  I  must 
remind  you  of  what  I  told  you  yesterday.  Charlotte  may  be  won, 
but  she  cannot  be  stolen  nor  abducted.  You  must  ask  for  her,  'beg 
for  her,  and  try  to  win  her  mother  to  your  cause.  You  must 
apologize  to  Mother  Wickham  for  disregarding  her  advice,  and 
for  rushing  off  to  Old  Point  to  try  to  win  her  daughter,  without 
her  consent,  and  against  the  advice  of  a  wise  as  well  as  an  affec- 
tionate mother.  You've  been  in  the  wrong.  Like  a  gentleman, 
you  must  try  to  get  in  the  right.  You  must  act  the  part  of  a  gen- 
tleman by  admitting  an  error.  Remember  that 

'Honor  and  fame  from  no  conditions  rise ; 
Act  well  your  part.    There  all  the  honor  lies.'  " 


And  so  Mother  Lee  had  trained  her  son  for  his  part  in  the  next 
scene  of  the  drama  of  real  life,  and  trained  him  well.  After  she 
was  sure  of  his  readiness  to  follow  her  directions,  Mother  Lee 
gave  him  a  little  stimulant  that  set  his  heart  into  a  flutter  and 
tremble,  when  she  said: 

"I  have  talked  with  Charlotte,  just  as  I  promised  you  five 
years  ago  that  I  would  do  when  it  might  do  some  good.  I  have 
observed  her  well,  and  I  am  quite  sure  that  I  am  doing  the  right 
thing  or  I  would  not  be  making  this  excursion  into,  the  field  of 
match-making — not  for  the  world.  But,  my  son,  I  am  quite  sure 
that  Charlotte  has  always  held  you  in  high  esteem.  During  the 
past  four  years  she  has  had  many  opportunities  to  marry,  and 
she  has  rejected  the  proposals  of  some  of  the  best  young  men 
in  Virginia. 

"Evidently,  Charlotte  has  been  waiting  for  some  one.  Now, 
if  you  do  not  take  it  for  granted,  and  try  to  snatch  her  away  from 
her  home ;  if  you  will  approach  her  as  I  have  advised,  I  am  quite 
sure  that  she  will  soon  show  her  affections  in  such  a  manner  that 
proposal  will  be  natural  to  you  and  easy;  or,  it  might  be  tnat 
Charlotte  would  make  up  her  mind  to  do  the  proposing  herself. 
Yes,  that's  how  sure  I  am  that  Charlotte  is  ready  and  willing. 
Surely  she  has  been  waiting  for  some  one  all  of  these  four  years." 

"Glory  be,"  he  exclaimed.    "Glory  be,  mother,  Glory  "be." 

Of  course  she  had  been  waiting  for  some  one.  She'd  been 
waiting  for  Custis,  and  Mother  Lee  knew  it  well.  Even  6f  the 
best  of  them  it  must  be  said  as  it  is  of  the  worst  of  them : 

"Oh,  the  light  that  lies  in  woman's  eyes, 
That  lies  there,  lies  and  lies." 

As  they  were  coming  up  the  long  side  road  that  led  from  the 
main  highway  to  the  Wickham  mansion,  Mother  Lee  and  "Roo- 
ney"  saw  the  Judge  driving  from  his  front  gate  a  tall,  slender, 
sleek-looking  man.  The  Judge  was  shaking  his  heavy  gold- 
headed  cane,  and  they  heard  him  say: 

"If  you  show  up  here  again,  sir,  you  will  not  see  a  cane,  nor 
feel  it.  You  will  have  to  contend  with  a  shotgun ;  you  damnable 
inter-meddling  Yankee  peddler." 

"I  beg  your  pardon,  Mrs.  Lee,"  said  the  Judge  as  he  turned  and 
observed  his  visitors  for  the  first  time.  That  he  was  very  much 
in  earnest,  you  will  understand,  for  the  Judge  did  not  hear  the 
hoof-beats  of  that  big  team,  nor  the  rattling  of  the  'big  iron-tired 
wheels,  for  all  wheels  in  those  days  were  held  together  by  iron 
tires. 

"That  Yankee  has  been  here  before,"  exclaimed  Judge  Wick- 
ham,  in  an  explanatory  manner,  as  he  was  helping  Mrs.  Lee  to 
alight,  and  as  "Rooney"  was  alighting  on  the  other  side.  The 
Judge  continued: 

84 


"He  has  been  here  for  the  last  time,  I  am  sure.  He  is  only 
one  of  a  thousand  or  more  that  ought  to  be  shot  down  for  tres- 
passing, whenever  they  step  foot  onto  the  estate  of  a  southern 
gentleman.  There  is  an  organization  of  intruding  Yankees,  and 
they  are  going  about  as  this  fellow  has  been  doing,  reading  that 
book  about  'Uncle  Tom's  Cabin'  and  trying  to  excite  the  darkies 
to  discontent.  It  is  an  outrageous  invasion  of  our  peace.  It. is 
criminal  trespass.  I'll  surely  shoot  if  that  fellow  comes  again." 

Before  they  realized  it,  Mother  Wickham  was  with  them.  She 
took  Mother  Lee  with  her,  leaving  "Rooney"  with  the  Judge  who 
was  further  explaining  his  unusual  manifestation  of  anger.  As  he 
mentioned  the  name  of  the  book,  the  old  slave  of  the  Lees,  "Uncle 
•  Tom,"  who  was  standing  at  the  heads  of  the  horses,  ready  to  take 
them  to  the  big  stone  barn,  exclaimed : 

"Massa  Judge,  'scuse  me,  Sah,  but  Ah  'bullieves  dat's  de  same 
one  what  was  to  Ahlingtqn  las'  week.  He  was  reading  'bout  MY 
CABIN,  an'  de  othah  niggahs  tole  him  to  git  out ;  an'  when  Ah 
heard  some  things  he  say-ed  'bout  My  Cabin,  Ah  jess  hollahed 
dat  Ah  was  goin'  to  th'  Mansion  an'  get  Massa  Lee's  shotgun. 
How  come  strange  white  man  to  write  a  book  'bout  Uncle  Tom's 
Cabin  when  Ah  hain't  seen  him  an'  he  hain't  seen  me,  an'  he 
hain't  nevah  been  in  Mah  Cabin.  Ef  Ah  was  white,  Massa  Jedge, 
Ah'd  kill  dat  book  man  mahself ." 

As  "Rooney"  was  accompanying  the  Judge  to  the  Mansion,  he 
noted  that  Charlotte  was  away  off  by  herself  at  the  south  end  of 
the  veranda.  She  looked  pale,  and  no  wonder,  after  her  recent 
experiences;  and  the  breaking  of  her  heart  of  hearts,  the  loss  of 
her  all ;  for 

"The  night  has  a  thousand  eyes, 

The  day  but  one ; 
And  the  light  of  the  whole  life  dies 
When  love  is  done." 

"I've  been  thinking  of  you  all  morning,  'Rooney'  "  said  Charlotte 

when  the  handsome  big  young  man  came  to  her,  and  she  added, 
"I  was  wondering  if  you  ever  think  of  me.  You  have  been  home 
more  than  a  week,  without  calling  to  see  me.  That's  not  neigh- 
borly, my  playmate,  'Rooney,'  and  I've  been  wondering  all 
morning,  if  you  were  never  coming  again." 

Poor  "Rooney,"  was  amazed,  and  happy.  Then,  of  course, 
Charlotte  did  not  know  how  he  had  disregarded  her  mother,  and 
had  gone  to  Old  Point  after  her.  Should  he  tell  her,  or  not ;  that 
was  the  question.  He  concluded  to  be  frank ;  and  so  he  told  her 
that  he  had  been  trying  to  come  to  her  ever  since  he  had  returned 
to  his  home.  "Rooney"  was  acting  well  his  part,  and  doing  just 
as  Charlotte  wanted  him  to  do,  and  just  as  the  two  mothers 

85 


wanted  him  to  do.  And,  when  he  had  finished  the  story  of  his 
vain  chase  after  her,  Charlotte  said : 

"And  here  1  have  been  wondering  if  you  ever  would  come  to 
me;  and  have  been  looking  for  you  every  day,  only  to  be  disap- 
pointed, and  you  have  really  and  honestly  been  doing  your  best  to 
come  to  me.  And,  'Rooney'  what  in  the  world  did  you  want  to 
see  me  about,  any  way  ?" 

"Rooney"  was  backed  up  against  the  wall  of  diplomacy.  Even 
if  he  wanted  to  retreat,  he  couldn't.  But  he  had  no  idea  of 
retreat.  He  stood  his  ground,  and  replied: 

"Why  Charlotte,  I've  been  living  in  a  dream  for  many  years; 
ever  since  I  was  a  little  fellow,  barely  able  to  talk  and  think,  and 
know  the  differences  between  right  and  wrong,  the  commonplace 
and  the  beautiful.  I've  been  in  love  for  years  and  years.  I've 
been  dreaming  and  dreaming  that  the  most  beautiful  woman  in  all 
the  world,  the  best  girl  ever  created,  with  eyes  so  'blue  and  heart 
to  true  that  she  could  be  as  great  a  queen  of  my  heart  as  I  knew 
her  to  be  the  greatest  Queen  of  the  May;  I've  been  dreaming  and 
hoping  and  believing  that  she  might  some  day  look  around  her 
and  see  me,  and  notice  me,  and,  maybe,  care  for  me  a  little  bit. 
Why  have  you  been  looking  for  me,  Charlotte  ?" 

"Oh,  my  dear  'Rooney'  you've  told  my  story  so  well,  that  it 
will  be  useless  for  me  to  try  to  tell  it.  I've  been  dreaming,  too. 
I've  had  my  mind  and  my  heart  on  the  best  young  man  ever 
created,  a  handsome  man,  too;  the  son  of  a  great  soldier,  the 
descendant  of  the  greatest  of  American  women ;  and  I've  been 
loving  him,  and  loving  him,  and  loving  him,  until  my  heart  has 
so  hungered  for  him,  that  I've  been  in  bed  with  a  fever,  all  for 
love ;  all  for  love,  'Rooney,'  all  for  love." 

"Oh  Charlotte,  my  dream  girl,  have  I  been  so  blind?  Do  you 
mean  me,  that  you  love  me  so  well.  Is  my  dream  coming  true?" 

"No,  silly,  "  said  Charlotte,  "it  will  never  come  true.  It  is  past 
now.  It  is  a  reality.  See?" 

Yes,  he  did  see ;  and  what  he  saw  was,  the  'beautiful  cherry  red 
lips  that  were  close  to  his  own,  and  coming  closer.  And,  well, 
why  try  to  describe  the  closing  scene  ?  You  can  only  understand 
some  things  by  experience. 

Charlotte  had  been  describing  her  love  for  Custis,  and  des- 
cribing it  truthfully;  and  "Rooney"  imagined,  as  she  intended 
him  to  imagine,  that  she  had  been  describing  him,  but  "Rooney" 
did  not  know  of 

"The  light  that  lies  in  woman's  eyes, 
That  lies  there,  lies  and  lies." 

and  so  he  was  happy.  And  just  as  might  have  been  expected,  the 
two  mothers  came  around  the  corner  of  the  veranda,  as  "Rooney" 

86 


was  lifting  the  fairy  out  of  her  chair,  and  holding  her  in  his 
arms  and  Mother  Wickham  cried,  anxiously, 

"  'Rooney'  be  careful,,  don't  you  drop  my  baby." 

And  then  "Rooney,"  the  full  grown  man  at  last,  proudly 
answered  that  Charlotte  was  no  longer  anybody's  baby,  but  his 
own ;  and  that  was  the  first  announcement  of  the  engagement. 

And,  on  another  morning  soon,  in  San  Francisco,  Captain 
G.  W.  C.  Lee,  registered  at  the  Palace  hotel,  and  read  in  the 
newspaper  dispatches  of  the  engagement  which  attracted  nation- 
wide interest. 

RINGING   OF   THE    BELLS 

"Hear  the  mellow  wedding  'bells,  golden  bells, 
What  a  world  of  merriment  their  melody  foretells 
Through  the  balmy  air  of  night 
How  they  ring  out  their  delight. 
Through  the  molten  golden  notes,  all  in  tune 
What  a  liquid  ditty  floats 

To  the  turtle  dove  that  listens,  while  he  gloats, 
On  the  moon ; 

How  it  dwells  on  the  future, 
How  it  tells  of  the  rapture  that  impels 
To  the  ringing  and  the  swinging  of  the  bells, 
To  the  rhyming  and  the  chiming  of  the  bells." 

Before  God  and  the  Church  and  under  the  laws  of  mankind, 
Charlotte  Wickham  became  the  pure,  loyal,  perfect  wife  of  one  of 
nature's  noblemen;  and,  in  her  heart  she  was  the  queen  of  a 
royal  prince  in  our  republic.  That  she  was  a  living  miracle  is 
true,  for  she  was  perfect  in  each  one  of  two  characters  of 
earth  life,  in  that  she  was  loyal  always  to  the  love  of  the  happy 
days  of  her  virgin  girlhood,  and  absolutely  as  well  as  unswervingly 
loyal  to  the  husband  to  whom  she  had  been  given,  by  the  magnifi- 
cent and  masterful  man  who  loved  her  with  divine  affection,  and 
whom  she  loved  with  idolatrous  adulation. 

Married  in  1859  to  one  of  the  best  young  men  in  America,  but 
without  natural  affection  for  the  young  man,  the  life  of  Charlotte 
Wickham  was  so  sad,  such  a  tragedy  of  romance  that  it  might 
better  be  told  within  a  few  words  or  a  few  lines.  Married  in 
1859,  Charlotte  Wickham  passed  away  from  earth  four  years 
later  during  the  Civil  War  in  1863,  while  her  husband  "Rooney" 
Lee,  seriously  wounded  in  battle,  was  confined  to  a  prison  in 
Fortress  Monroe  and  unable  to  come  to  her  in  her  illness;  and 
to  complete  the  tragedy  of  the  early  life  of  "Rooney"  Lee,  it  must 
be  added  that  both  of  their  little  girls  passed  away  before  he  was 
returned  to  his  magnificent  estate  by  the  conclusion  of  the  hostili- 

87 


ties  of  the  country.  He  came  to  an  empty  home,  with  empty 
arms,  and  an  empty  heart.  Such  a  man,  with  such  a  life  of 
tragedy,  might  have  been  the 

LORD  OF  BURLEIGH 

When  Alfred  Tennyson  was  in  the  height  of  his  fame  he  gave 
to  the  world  the  beautiful  poem  of  the  "Lord  of  Burleigh"  and 
in  two  of  those  verses  he  practically  described  "Rooney"  Lee  and 
his  bride.  "Rooney"  Lee,  as  a  descendant  of  Daniel  Parke  Custis, 
had  inherited  the  White  House  farm  on  the  Pamunkey  River; 
and  it  was  to  that  magnificent  mansion  which  had  been  built 
originally  by  American's  first  merchant  prince  for  Martha  Dan- 
dridge  who  became  afterwards  Martha  Washington,  "Rooney"  Lee 
brought  his  bride.  It  was  a  magnificent  estate  and  here  the  story 
may  be  told  in  brief  in  the  words  of  Alfred  Tennyson : 

"Here  he  lived  in  state  and  bounty, 

Lord  of  Burleigh  fair  and  free ; 
Not  a  lord  in  all  the  county 

Was  so  great  a  lord  as  he ; 
There  she  drooped  and  drooped  before  him, 

Fading  slowly  from  his  side ; 
Two  fair  children  first  she  'bore  him, 

Then  before  her  time  she  died." 

i 

Majestic  sweetness  sits  enthroned  upon  the  brow  of  the  hero  of 
this  story;  this  o'er  true  tale  of  American  knighthood;  of  one 
whose  self-sacrificing  purposes  and  deeds  manifest  in  every  in- 
stance and  in  every  detail  the  invisible  but  palpable  inspiration 
of  the  spirit  of  Calvary,  making  of  it  a  history  of  incomparable, 
matchless,  marvelous,  miraculous  character,  which  approximates 
well-nigh  unattainable  perfection;  "a  light  that  shines  upon  the 
road"  that  leads  unto  the  mansions  o,f  light,  where  many  mansions 
are,  as  declared  by  One  who  said:  "If  it  were  not  so,  would  I 
have  told  you  that  I  go  to  prepare  a  place  for  you  ?" 

The  heroine  also  is  haloed  with  the  angelic  beauty,  purity  and 
devotion  that  bespeak  the  reverence  and  homage  which  belong 
only  to  the  sainted  in  heaven  who  are  named  by  the  church. 

Every  reader  will  naturally  and  voluntarily  join  with  the  great, 
the  good,  the  only  Custis  Lee,  in  breathing  the  prayer : 

"God  bless  angelic  little  Charlotte." 


PART  TWO 

ZENITH  OF  AMERICAN  VALOR 

IT  WAS  the  year  of  1857  that  Colonel  Robert  E.  Lee  was 
subduing  the  Comanche  Indians,  and  it  was  in  that  year  that 
hfs  second  son,  "Rooney,"  was  marching  across  the  uninhabited 
plains  of  this  country  where  countless  millions  now  live  and  thrive. 
During  the  days  of  the  following  generation  that  year  was  always 
referred  to  in  casual  conversations  as 

THE  YEAR  OF  THE  COMET 

You  never  heard  of  the  wrath  of  Abraham  Lincoln,  did  you? 
Well,  General  Tom  Ewing  of  Indiana  told  the  old-timers  on  ancient 
Newspaper  Row,  in  Washington  city,  an  incident  which  he  termed 
"a  narrow  escape  from  the  just  wrath  of  President  Lincoln." 

To  understand  it  thoroughly  the  average  reader  must  ask  old 
grand-pa  or  grand-ma  to  describe  the  immense  comet  which  over- 
cast the  sky,  really  overspreading  it,  for  many  moons  in  the  year 
of  1857. 

Excepting  the  few  scientists  who  comprehended  the  history  of 
the  comet,  all  of  the  people  of  the  world  were  frightened ;  and  the 
plain  people  of  this  country  were  praying  and  following  a  sect 
called  "Millerites,"  who  had  been  predicting  the  end  of  the  world 
at  that  time.  It  was  during  the  height  of  the  excitement,  appre- 
hension and  alarm  caused  by  the  comet  that  General  Ewing  was 
in  Vincennes,  Ind.,  ready  to  take  a  coach  for  transportation  to 
Indianapolis.  He  said : 

"In  front  of  the  hotel  there  was  a  four-horse  old-fashioned  coach 
with  a  very  venerable  driver.  On  the  rear  seat  I  found  a  rustic 
farmer,  or  farmer's  son,  making  himself  comfortable.  Now,  I 
did  not  want  to  ride  backward,  so  I  approached  him  and  said : 

"  'My  dear  fellow,  Governor  Willard  of  Indiana  is  coming  out 
in  a  minute  and  I  know  that  it  makes  the  Governor  seasick  to  ride 
backward.  So,  if  you  don't  mind,  it  would  be  a  nice  thing  if  you 
would  take  the  front  seat  and  leave  the  rear  seat  for  the  Governor.' 

"The  fanner  picked  up  his  straw  hat,  put  it  on  his  bushy  mat 
cf  black  hair  and  through  his  back  whiskers  came  the  words,  very 
cheerfully  spoken: 

"  'All  right,  let  the  Governor  have  the  back  seat.  I  guess  I 
won't  get  seasick,  as  I  have  never  been  to  sea.' 

"Gathering  his  cheap  linen  duster  around  his  skeleton  and  pick- 

89 


ing  up  his  big  carpetbag,  the  lanky  fellow  sidled  across,  took  the 
front  seat  and  left  the  best  seat,  the  back  one,  for  Governor  Wil- 
lard  of  Indiana,  and  also  for  his  diplomatic  friend,  General  Tom 
Ewing. 

THE  TALE  OF  A  COMET 

"It  was  a  rainy  day  and  we  traveled  over  an  awfully  muddy 
road,  through  a  sea  of  mud.  Governor  Willard  and  I  talked  about 
the  comet,  what  the  newspapers  were  saying  and  what  the  maga- 
zines were  guessing  about  it.  The  lanky  one  asked  several  ques- 
tions, showing  some  knowledge  of  current  rumor,  and  we  put  him 
off  with  brief,  pert  answers.  Finally  he  addressed  me  by  name, 
although  I  had  not  given  him  my  name,  and  asked: 

"  'General  Ewing,  if  you  know  what  effect  this  comet  will  have 
on  the  earth  I  will  be  obliged  for  the  information.' 

"Afterward  I  remembered  his  decent  and  respectful  manner, 
but  at  the  time  I  was  annoyed,  and  shut  him  up  for  good  by  saying : 

"  'I  have  no  doubt  that  the  derned  thing  will  grip  up  this  earth 
and  run  away  to  hell  with  it.'  , 

"That  finished  him  for  the  day.  He  asked  no  more,  but  respect- 
fully listened,  as  we  expected  him  to  do.  When  we  got  to  Indian- 
apolis in  the  evening  the  gawky  fellow  rubbed  resentment  and  re- 
proach into  my  soul  by  jumping  out  into  the  mud,  picking  up  a 
plank,  placing  it  where  Governor  Willard  and  I  could  walk  to  the 
board  sidewalk  dry-shod,  and  he  disappeared  into  the  hotel  before 
either  one  of  us  could  utter  an  expression  of  appreciation.  Gov- 
ernor Willard  said  that  Sir  Walter  Raleigh  couldn't  have  done 
the  act  any  better. 

"Half  an  hour  later  Governor  Willard  and  I  were  at  one  of  the 
big  tables  in  the  dining  room,  which  was  crowded,  when  the 
farmer  came  in,  looked  around  for  a  seat  and  moved  toward  our 
table.  I  asked  Governor  Willard  if  I  should  invite  the  fellow, 
and  was  advised  to  do  so,  for  there  was  a  vacant  seat  next  to 
Governor  Willard,  and  I  motioned  for  the  tall  country  fellow  to 
come,  and  he  came. 

"He  looked  a  great  deal  better.  He  had  combed  his  shock  of 
black  hair  and  had  somehow  smoothed  his  whiskers.  He  wore  a 
black  Prince  Albert  coat,  which  was  some  worn,  but  looked 
genteel.  As  he  came  alongside  of  us  he  thanked  Governor  Wil- 
lard, and  also  thanked  me,  for  the  honor  of  a  seat  at  our  table. 

"Apparently  he  was  a  very  light  eater,  although  he  was  a  tall 
fellow  and  big  enough  to  swing  a  heavy  scythe  or  rake  in  a  harvest 
field.  He  finished  while  the  Governor  and  I  were  taking  dessert, 
and  as  he  arose  he  thanked  us  again  for  the  honor,  and  asked 
Governor  Willard  if  he  might  tell  folks  out  West  that  he  had  sat 

00 


at  the  same  table  at  supper  with  Governor  Willard  of  Indiana, 
and  the  Governor  graciously  gave  him  that  permission. 

"The  Governor,  having  dressed  in  my  room  for  the  evening, 
descended  the  stairs  with  me,  as  he  was  intending  soon  to  go  ta 
the  executive  mansion.  We  heard  gay  laughter  and  rounds  of 
applause  in  the  parlor,  and  I  asked  one  of  the  old  hotel  employes 
who  the  tall  man  was  that  stood  in  the  parlor,  and  whom  the  peo- 
ple were  so  lustily  cheering,  and  his  reply  was : 

"  'That  is  a  lawyer  from  out  West  somewhere,  Illinois  I  believe. 
He  comes  here  two  or  three  times  a  year.  His  name  is  Lincoln, 
Abraham  Lincoln,  and  he  is  a  fine  story  teller.' 

"The  ride,  the  story  of  the  comet,  the  supper  and  all  were  for- 
gotten soon,  but  in  the  spring  of  1861,  less  than  four  years  later, 
I  went  to  Washington  city  to  ask  that  same  gawky  fellow  to 
appoint  me  to  the  important  and  desirable  office  of  minister  to 
Mexico.  Although  I  had  the  hearty  indorsement  of  the  leading 
Republicans  of  Indiana,  I  realized  that  I  was  facing  the  pent-up 
wrath  of  the  man  whom  I  had  directly  and  keenly  insulted  on  that 
occasion,  and  needlessly,  too,  for  he  had  been  gentlemanly  and 
courteous,  while  I  had  been  boorish. 

"I  told  my  friends  about  it,  and  they  were  prepared  with 
bushels  of  excuses  for  me.  But,  fortunately,  the  big  man  in  the 
White  House  looked  me  over  very  keenly,  did  not  recognize  me, 
grasped  my  hand  very  cordially  and  said : 

"  'General  Ewing,  the  country  needs  men  of  experience ;  men 
who  are  indorsed  as  you  are  by  big  men.  Unfortunately  for  you 
individually,  however,  I  have  promised  that  place  to  Tom  Corwin 
of  Ohio.  I  have  chosen  him  for  the  position  of  minister  to 
Mexico.' 

"I  believed,  and  my  friends  believed,  that  he  was  merely  throw- 
ing the  harpoon  of  vengeance  into  me,  but  he  was  not.  He  really 
did  not  remember  me,  and  he  said :  'Now  I  hope  that  you  will  look- 
over  the  list  of  possibilities,  select  something  substantially  as  good 
and  come  back  to  me.  The  country  needs  veteran  soldiers  and 
men  of  experience  who  have  proved  their  love  of  country.  Come 
and  see  me  again,  and  we  will  get  together  somehow.' 

"Within  a  week  I  called  again,  properly  accompanied,  and  asked 
to  be  made  minister  to  Brazil,  and  President  Lincoln  gave  me  a 
note  to  the  Secretary  of  State,  ordering  that  appointment.  It  was 
made  and  promptly  confirmed  by  the  Senate. 

"Just  about  one  month  I  spent  at  the  Department  of  State  re- 
ceiving instructions  concerning  the  duties  of  the  position.  Then 
\vhen  I  was  ready  to  go  to  Brazil  I  was  accompanied  to  the  White 
House  by  the  Secretary  of  State,  William  H.  Seward,  to  receive 
my  final  instructions  from  the  President  and  to  say  good-by  to  him. 

"President  Lincoln  gave  me  greater,  better,  more  comprehensive 

91 


instructions  than  I  had  received  at  the  Department  of  State.  He 
v/as  very  earnest,  very  grave  and  thoroughly  impressed  me  with 
the  trust  which  was  reposed  in  me  by  my  country.  He  made  me 
understand  that  the  diplomatic  representatives  of  some  countries 
cf  South  America,  and  of  all  except  Russia  in  the  countries  of 
Europe,  would  be  likely  to  mislead  me  into  quarrels  or  contro- 
versies. My  duty  was  to  keep  sober  and  calm  under  all  circum- 
stances. Nothing  unexpected  should  be  allowed  to  unbalance  my 
mental  equilibrium.  One  careless  deed  or  word  of  mine  might 
prove  to  be  of  grave  danger,  possibly  fatal  to  our  country. 

"Secretary  Seward  listened  carefully,  as  I  did.  At  the  con- 
clusion of  the  audience  President  Lincoln  bade  me  good-by  and 
godspeed,  went  to  the  door  with  the  Secretary  and  me  and  there 
he  took  my  hand  and  heartily  squeezed  it  in  his  powerful  grip 
.and  said: 

"  'Now  you  do  your  duty ;  I  will  do  my  duty,  and  between  us,' 
"here  he  threw  his  long  left  arm  around  my  shoulders  and  added, 
'we  ought  to  be  able,  Tom,  to  keep  that  derned  old  comet  from 
tunning  to  hell  with  this  old  earth.  Good-by.'" 

LINCOLN  AND  DOUGLAS  DEBATE 

DURING  the  year  following  "the  comet  year,"  and  every  day 
for  more  than  half  of  that  year,  1858,  Stephen  A.  Douglas, 
the  generally  accepted  oratorical  leader  of  the  democratic 
party  of  the  country,  was  traversing  the  fenceless  and  almost 
boundless  prairies  of  the  State  of  Illinois,  on  the  defensive,  for 
the  first  time  in  his  public  career. 

There  had  been  born  at  the  Twin  Oaks  of  Jackson,  Michigan, 
a  new  political  party;  and  it  was  a  party  with  a  principle  which 
was  fast  becoming  exceedingly  popular,  at  least  in  the  free  States 
01"  the  country.  It  was  known  as  the  republican  party.  In  the 
army  of  the  country  there  was  an  intrepid  engineer  officer,  General 
John  C.  Fremont,  who  had  won  for  himself  the  distinction  of 
having  been  the  first  leader  of  men  to  blaze  the  way  across  the 
"Great  American  Desert,"  for  he  had  led  the  way  across  the  vast 
continent  which  was,  previous  to  the  year  1850,  practically,  an 
unknown  because  unexplored  empire.  General  Fremont  was 
popularly  known  as  "The  Pathfinder ;"  and  the  new  political  party 
had  wisely  chosen  that  good  man  to  be  the  leader  of  their  aggrega- 
tions of  unorganized  masses.  General  Fremont  was  defeated  by 
the  democratic  candidate,  James  Buchanan,  in  the  year  1856 ;  but 
lie  had  blazed  the  way,  politically,  and  the  new  party  was  pre- 
senting an  organized  front  two  years  later,  so  that  in  the  year 
1858,  under  the  leadership  of  Abraham  Lincoln,  that  new  party 
was  making  its  first  great  struggle  for  a  standing  in  the  United 
States  Senate. 

92 


Abraham  Lincoln,  born  and  bred  in  poverty,  self-educated,  self- 
confident,  aggressive,  fired  with  ardent  and  crusading  belief  in 
the  principles  of  the  new  political  party,  was  making  a  wonder- 
fully successful  campaign  for  the  seat  in  the  Senate  then  held  by 
Douglas,  whose  term  was  to  expire  on  March  4,  1859.  With 
presidential  ambitions  and  with  superior  prospects  because  of  the 
excellent  organization  of  the  democratic  party,  Senator  Douglas 
was  a  candidate  for  re-election ;  and  the  new  man  who  had  fought 
his  way  out  of  utter  obscurity,  was  a  candidate  for  the  senatorial 
position  in  which  Douglas  had  become  famous. 

Douglas,  as  an  oratorical  leader,  was  sui  generis,  and  able  to 
compel  applause,  on  all  occasions.  But,  like  all  other  public 
speakers  seeking  political  distinction,  he  was  successful  in  securing 
hearings  by  countless  assemblies  of  men,  but  without  producing 
the  necessary  votes  on  election  days,  in  the  national  arena.  In  his 
own  State  of  Illinois,  however,  Douglas  had  been  matchless,  until 
Lincoln  appeared  and  forced  the  fighting  all  of  that  year.  Al- 
though the  contest  was  in  doubt  for  many  weeks,  and  the  forensic 
campaign  was  continuous,  exciting,  frequently  bitter,  Douglas  was 
re-elected.  Lincoln,  however,  had  accomplished  the  chief  purpose 
of  his  entire  campaign.  He  had  made  himself  the  national  leader 
of  the  new  political  party.  Although  defeated  for  that  senator- 
ship,  as  he  had  really  expected  to  be  defeated,  he  had  successfully 
used  his  opportunities  in  public  discussion  to  compel  national  at- 
tention, win  unexampled  popularity  and  almost  unchallenged  lead- 
ership. His  presidential  nomination,  in  1860,  was  the  achievement 
for  which  he  had  made  the  campaign  in  Illinois,  in  1858.  The 
debate  had  compelled  nation-wide  attention  and  interest. 

Very  few  individuals  now  living  heard  that  debate,  without 
mention  of  which  American  history  would  be  inexplicable  to  all 
generations  of  after  years.  This  writer  heard  Lincoln  and  Douglas 
in  joint  debate  at  Quincy,  Illinois,  on  the  same  platform,  in  a 
public  park. 

While  Thomas  R.  Marshall  was  Vice  President  of  the  United 
States  and  therefore  the  presiding  officer  of  the  Senate,  it  was 
his  custom,  when  the  Senate  was  in  session,  to  traverse  the  dis- 
tance from  his  office  in  the  great  marble  office  building  of  the 
Senate,  in  the  diminutive  monorail  car  in  the  subway.  One  morn- 
ing just  as  the  Vice  President  was  giving  to  the  motorman  the 
cheery  morning  greeting  to  which  he  was  accustomed,  the  Vice 
President  was  addressed  by  an  elderly  newspaper  man,  who  en- 
tered the  car  from  the  opposite  side,  his  words  being: 

"Mr.  Vice  President,  maybe  you  are  the  very  man  that  I  am 
looking  for  this  morning " 

"Don't  let  it  occur  again,"  interrupted  the  genial  gentleman  from 
Indiana,  as  he  extended  his  hand,  and  added:  "If  you  imagine 

93 


that  I  am  a  repository  of  any  news,  you  are  making  a  bad  begin- 
ning for  the  day,  for  I  don't  know  anything  at  all,  except  that  I 
am  able  to  remember  the  place  where  I  work  and  earn  my  bread 
and  butter,  and  I  am  just  going  there  to  be  on  the  job  on  time." 

Thus  did  the  genial,  popular,  worthy,  and  lovable  gentleman 
attempt  to  avoid  an  interview;  for  he  was  one  of  the  very  few 
men  in  public  office  who  really  did  avoid  and  endeavor  always  to 
escape  interviews  and  all  other  attempts  to  keep  him  in  the  lime- 
light. But  on  that  occasion  he  was  actually  cornered  in  the  little 
subway  car,  and  the  insistent  newspaper  man,  almost  as  well 
along  in  years  as  himself,  persisted  with  his  inquiries  and  obtained 
a  bit  of  American  history  well  worth  the  recording. 

"I  am  trying  to  prepare  an  unusual  article  concerning  Abraham 
Lincoln,  for  publication  this  February  anniversary  of  the  birth  of 
that  historic  character,"  said  the  news  writer.  "I  am  trying  to 
find  some  person  or  persons  of  consequence  yet  living  who  heard 
the  great  debate  between  Lincoln  and  Douglas  in  1858." 

"If  you  will  leave  out  the  words  'of  consequence,'  "  said  the  Vice 
President,  "maybe  I  can  help  you  out,  for  I  know  a  man  who 
heard  a  part  of  that  debate,  when  he  was  only  a  little  boy,  4  years 
old.  He  remembers  his  impressions  very  vividly,  and  I  have  heard 
him  tell  the  story  several  times. 

"The  little  fellow  was  4  and  almost  5  years  old  when  his  demo- 
cratic daddy  took  him  to  Freeport,  111.,  and  he  heard  both  of  those 
great  men  in  their  appeals  to  the  people  for  election  to  the  Senate ; 
and,  by  the  way,  you  should  tell  your  audience  that  the  famous 
debate  of  that  year  was  a  sort  of  John-Baptist  forerunner  of  our 
present  primary  system.  I  can  repeat  the  story  substantially  as  I 
have  heard  the  little  boy  tell  it ;  of  course,  since  he  has  grown  up 
and  mingled  with  men  and  affairs.  He  said : 

"  'I  have  no  recollection  of  the  points  made  in  the  debate,  but  I 
remember  both  of  the  men  and  how  each  one  of  them  appeared 
before  the  immense  audience.  I  remember  particularly  how  they 
appeared  to  me.  The  short,  stout  man,  Douglas,  had  the  better  of 
the  argument  with  the  people,  for  the  applause  was  frequent, 
natural,  bursting  out  into  prolonged  roars.  He  moved  up  and 
down  the  platform,  talking  from  each  end  and  from  the  middle, 
and  also  talking  as  he  was  walking  from  end  to  end.  Douglas 
undoubtedly  had  the  encouragement  of  applause  and  popular 
approval. 

"  'I  was  on  the  platform.  My  daddy  was  a  democrat,  and  he 
must  have  had  some  influence  to  get  up  there  on  the  occasion  of 
such  a  great  assemblage.  The  tall  man,  Lincoln,  did  not  walk 
about  very  much.  He  stood  almost  in  the  center  of  the  platform. 
He  talked  to  everybody,  though,  for  he  continually  turned  his 
face  and  his  whole  body  from  side  to  side,  addressing  all  of  the 

94 


people.  It  was  my  impression  that  the  people  liked  him  better 
than  they  did  the  shorter  man.  They  did  not  give  him  so  much 
applause,  but  as  he  told  stories  to  them,  maybe  to  illustrate  his 
points,  the  people  burst  out  into  laughter,  and  they  did  so  very 
often.  Two  or  three  times  they  cheered  him  so  long  that  it  made 
me  tired. 

"  'While  Mr.  Lincoln  was  talking  I  sat  on  the  knees  of  Senator 
Douglas,  and  he  never  said  one  word  to  me;  just  held  me.  When 
it  came  his  turn  to  talk  I  was  handed  to  the  tall  man,  and  I  sat 
on  the  knees  of  Abraham  Lincoln  while  Douglas  was  speaking. 
Now,  I  would  like  to  make  you  understand  what  a  difference  there 
was  between  the  two  men,  from  a  boy's  standpoint.  Mr.  Lincoln 
asked  my  name,  my  age,  where  I  lived,  whether  I  knew  my  A,  B, 
C's,  whether  I  had  a  puppy  dog  or  not,  and  all  sorts  of  questions 
cf  a  kind  to  interest  a  little  boy.  I  surprised  and  heckled  my  old 
democratic  daddy  by  telling  him  that  when  I  grew  up  I  intended 
to  vote  for  Mr.  Lincoln.  He  could  have  had  my  vote  that  year, 
sure,  if  I  could  have  voted.' " 

"That  is  an  unusually  interesting  story,  Mr.  Vice  President," 
said  the  newspaper  man,  "and  I  am  sure  that  you  will  complete  it 
by  telling  me  where  I  can  find  the  man  who  told  it  to  you." 

"Well,  earlier  in  the  day,"  was  the  reply,  "you  can  generally 
find  him  in  the  office  rooms  of  the  Vice  President.  I  heard  him 
tell  the  story  when  he  was  Governor  of  Indiana  and  before.  His 
name  is  Tom  Marshall." 

Having  added  to  his  reputation  as  a  newspaper  man,  the  dis- 
tinction of  being  a  reliable  writer  of  history,  the  narrator  then 
sought  the  distinguished  "Uncle  Joe"  Cannon,  famous  as  having 
been  the  masterful  and  militant  Speaker  of  the  National  House 
of  Representatives  during  one  of  the  most  stormy  and  epoch- 
making  periods  of  that  legislative  body ;  a  body  in  which  only  the 
stormy  petrels  can  survive.  Dear  old  "Uncle  Joe"  was  then  grace- 
fully and  gently  approaching  his  83d  birthday ;  and  he  greeted  the 
interviewing  visitor  with  youthful  cordiality.  Although  they  were 
personal  friends  of  more  than  ordinary  intimacy,  the  narrator  is 
almost  twenty  years  the  junior  of  the  statesman,  and  so  you  will 
observe  the  ever-bubbling  spirit  of  humor  in  the  famous  legislator 
by  the  fact  that  he  greeted  the  writer  thus: 

"I  am  sorry  for  you,  every  time  I  see  you.  I  have  known  you 
now  for  more  than  forty  years.  You  do  not  seem  to  realize,  as 
your  friends  do,  that  you  are  getting  to  be  an  old  man." 

And  the  venerable  statesman  was  swinging  along  rapidly  toward 
his  office  room,  when  his  old  friend  put  an  arm  over  his  shoulder 
and  said: 

"Now,  just  for  that,  you  must  give  up  ten  or  fifteen  minutes 
cf  your  time  and  tell  me  what  you  know  about  the  Lincoln-Douglas 
debate  of  1858." 

95 


"Well,  shorthand,  then,"  said  the  most  lovable  of  public  men. 
"I  happen  to  remember  that  you  can  write  chicken  tracks  with  a 
pen,  so  take  this  down.  The  most  exciting  debate  of  all  of  their 
meetings  was  at  Charleston,  111.,  about  the  middle  of  September, 
1858,  and  I  was  there. 

"Senator  Douglas  made  the  grave  mistake  of  accusing  Lincoln 
of  disloyalty.  He  referred  to  a  story  current  almost  ten  years 
earlier  and  thoroughly  disproved,  charging  Lincoln  with  having 
voted  against  appropriations  for  the  soldiers  during  the  war  with 
Mexico,  withholding  appropriations,  to  let  our  soldiers  starve  or' 
go  without  ammunition  in  their  campaigns.  You  know,  Abraham 
Lincoln  was  a  member  of  Congress  when  President  James  K. 
Polk  sent  soldiers  across  the  line  without  Congressional  authority, 
and  in  so  doing  he  violated  the  constitution  by  assuming  to  declare 
war.  That  is  a  right  belonging  only  to  the  Congress. 

"Abraham  Lincoln  voted  for  the  Ashmun  resolution  declaring 
that  the  war  had  been  unconstitutionally  declared.  So  did  Allen  G. 
Thurman  and  many  other  men  who  became  eminent. 

"But  when  war  was  declared  Lincoln  and  all  of  the  others  loyally 
voted  to  sustain  the  army.  Senator  Douglas  must  have  known  the 
facts  and  yet  he  threw  out  that  accusation,  and  it  aroused  the 
wrath,  not  to  say  intense  anger,  of  Abraham  Lincoln. 

"Sitting  on  the  platform  as  chairman  of  the  Douglas  committee 
was  Colonel  Orlando  B.  Ficklin.  He  had  been  a  member  of  Con- 
gress at  the  same  time  as  Abraham  Lincoln.  As  soon  as  it  came 
his  turn  to  speak  Mr.  Lincoln  went  to  Colonel  Ficklin,  grabbed 
him  by  the  shoulders  and  dragged  him  to  the  front  of  the  plat- 
form, and  he  shouted  to  the  audience : 

"  'I  am  not  going  to  hurt  Ficklin,  but  I  am  going  to  make  him 
tell  the  truth  to  this  audience  about  that  ten-year-old  lie  which 
Judge  Douglas  has  brought  up  again.  Ficklin  was  a  member  of 
Congress,  he  knows  the  truth,  and  must  tell  it.' 

"Colonel  Ficklin  then  stated  that  he  was  not  merely  a  supporter 
of  Senator  Douglas,  but  a  long  time  personal  friend  of  Mr.  Lin- 
coln. He  stated  that  although  Mr.  Lincoln  had  voted  for  the 
Ashmun  resolution  he  had  consistently  voted  for  all  army  appro- 
priations and  that  his  loyalty  was  absolutely  beyond  question. 

"That  dramatic  performance  finally  ended  that  lie  against  Lin- 
coln, and  it  increased  Lincoln's  popularity,  too.  But  there  were 
many  other  lies  and  many  other  liars  in  those  days  and  some  of 
them  kept  up  their  vilification  of  the  great  man,  even  until  after 
his  body  had  been  laid  away  forever.  The  great  philosopher  who 
called  attention  to  the  fact  that  'the  poor  ye  have  with  you  always' 
might  have  included  the  political  liars  in  the  same  category." 

An  interesting  item  concerning  that  epoch  is  offered  by  another 
little  boy,  a  couple  of  years  older  than  Vice  President  Marshall — a 

96 


little  boy  of  about  8  years  who  resided  in  Keokuk,  Iowa,  where  the 
big  dam  now  masters  the  mighty  Mississippi  River.  In  after 
years  he  grew  into  notice  as  a  newspaper  man  at  Washington, 
but  when  he  was  a  play-about-town  boy  his  father  took  him  down 
the  river  on  the  some  time  famous  side-wheel  steamboat  Sucker 
State  to  the  ambitious  little  city  of  Quincy,  111.,  and  this  is  the  way 
he  now  tells  the  story : 

"Dad  was  some  stumper  himself,  as  I  knew,  for  I  had  heard 
him.  He  took  me  on  to  the  platform,  which  was  either  out  in 
the  woods  or  in  a  great  park.  Dad  knew  the  short,  stout  man,  but 
he  was  introduced  to  the  tall  man.  I  have  always  remembered 
both  of  them  very  distinctly,  for  Dad  told  me  that  they  were  the 
two  greatest  men  in  this  country,  if  not  in  the  world. 

"I  could  not  understand  what  they  were  talking  about,  but  when 
the  short  man  finished  his  speech  I  got  scared.  Since  I  have  grown 
up  I  have  tried  to  find  a  record  of  what  happened,  but  it  is  not 
in  any  printed  record.  I  thought  that  the  tall  man  was  going  to 
kill  the  other  man,  for  he  threatened  him.  The  tall  man  had  been 
sitting  in  a  corner.  He  was  all  humped  up,  as  if  he  was  cold,  or 
as  if  he  was  scared.  When  it  came  his  turn  he  got  up,  threw  a 
long  linen  duster  to  another  man,  and  shouted  out  loud: 

"  'Hold  my  coat  now  while  I  stone  Stephen !' 

"I  looked  all  round  me,  but  did  not  see  any  stones.  The  tall 
man  did  not  seem  to  try  to  find  any  stones,  and  the  crowd  just 
roared  out  laughing.  Afterward  my  daddy  made  me  tell  the  story 
as  my  childish  eyes  had  seen  and  my  little  ears  had  heard,  and 
Dad's  friends  just  laughed,  and  Dad  said : 

"  'Old  Abe  surely  did  stone  Stephen,  and  threw  big  darnicks 
at  him,  too.' 

"And  that  grieved  me,  too,  for  I  thought  that  my  dear  old 
daddy  was  lying  about  it,  for  Old  Abe  didn't  throw  any  rocks  at 
all,  and  I  know  that  I  had  watched  his  every  movement. 

"I  remember  well  how  the  shorter  and  stouter  man  walked  up 
and  down  the  platform  and  how  the  people  cheered  almost  every 
sentence  that  he  uttered.  I  remember  also  that  the  tall  man  stood 
almost  still  in  one  position,  near  the  center  of  the  platform.  But 
he  waved  his  long  arms  a  great  deal,  like  big  flails.  Very  often  he 
leaned  away  over  the  front  of  the  platform,  toward  the  people, 
as  if  he  wanted  to  get  nearer  to  the  people.  I  remember  also  that 
after  the  talking  on  the  platform  was  over  the  tall  man  did  a 
lot  of  handshaking,  but  the  shorter  man  soon  went  away  in  a 
big  stage,  drawn  by  four  horses,  as  though  he  was  in  a  hurry 
to  either  get  to  some  other  place  or  to  get  away  from  that  par- 
ticular place,  and  it  seemed  to  me  that  he  was  awfully  anxious 
to  simply  get  away  from  there.  Some  folks  on  the  platform  talked 

97 


about  'the  Judge/  as  they  called  him,  going  away  so  fast,  and 
one  of  the  men  there  said  to  my  father: 

"  'Abe's  in  no  hurry.    Abe  don't  drink.' 

"In  later  years,  I  have  often  wondered  if  that  was  harmless 
sarcasm  or  whether  it  was  a  political  lie.  Mingling  with  modern 
politicians  for  many  years,  I  have  become  accustomed  to  hearing 
\ots  of  political  lies,  and  maybe  that  was  one  concerning  Stephen 
A.  Douglas,  although  in  those  days  there  was  no  ban  on  the 
drinking  habit — not  for  many  years  afterward." 

Congressman  Benjamin  F.  Marsh,  of  Warsaw,  111.,  was  the 
son  of  one  of  the  most  ardent,  earnest  and  tireless  of  the  sup- 
porters of  Abraham  Lincoln  and,  concerning  that  topic,  he  once 
said  to  the  narrator : 

"My  father  told  me  that  Mr.  Lincoln  liked  the  poison,  liked  it 
so  well  that  he  often  thanked  God  that  it  was  so  scarce  out  on  the 
Western  prairies.  He  said  that  Mr.  Lincoln  never  used  it,  but 
admitted  that  he  had  indulged  in  it  occasionally,  and  liked  it,  but 
was  man  enough  to  reject  it  entirely.  There  were  no  saloons  on 
the  prairies  and  no  saloons  in  the  small  prairie  towns.  The  few 
farmers  who  went  to  the  larger  cities  carried  home  with  them  very 
little,  because  it  was  not  any  more  popular  with  the  women  in 
those  days  than  it  is  now." 

Having  become  interested  in  this  subject  in  later  years,  the 
narrator  once  asked  Congressman  William  M.  Springer,  of  Spring- 
field, 111.,  concerning  his  recollections  of  Mr.  Lincoln,  and  his 
reply  was,  quoting  from  memory: 

"There  never  lived  a  better  temperance  orator  than  Abraham 
Lincoln,  and  he  antedated  all  of  them,  although  he  did  not  make 
a  specialty  of  speaking  publicly  upon  that  topic.  Although  he 
never  was  in  the  habit  of  liquor  drinking  he  was  heard  to  say 
quite  often  that  he  liked  the  poison  so  well  that  he  hated  the  sight 
of  a  bottle." 

Today  there  is  a  magnificent,  beautiful,  incomparable  marble 
memorial  to  Abraham  Lincoln,  in  the  District  of  Columbia,  which 
is  the  seat  of  government  for  our  republic.  With  unlimited 
wealth  the  national  congress  made  financial  provision  for  that 
matchless  memorial ;  and  it  ought  to  be  known  of  all  men  that 
Senator  Shelby  M.  Cullom  of  Illinois  originated,  managed  and 
secured  the  legislation  which  made  provision  for  that  memorial 
to  Lincoln.  It  was  the  crowning  effort  of  a  long  life  in  the 
public  service.  To  Senator  Cullom  the  writer  also  went  for  a 
reminiscence  of  the  historic  debate.  The  Senator  was  growing 
old,  and  he  was  feeble.  Probably  upon  no  other  topic  could  he 
have  been  persuaded  to  speak,  as  he  did  for  this  narrator. 

"After  listening  to  the  great  debate,"  said  Senator  Cullom,  "I 
was  on  the  way  home  with  my  father  .when  he  summed  up  the 

98 


discussion  in  these  words:  'You  have  heard  the  greatest  of  all 
defendants  of  a  national  wrong,  and  you  have  listened  also  to  the 
wisest  man  since  Solomon.' 

"As  a  very  young  man  I  did  not  understand,  but  now  I  compre- 
hend. Abraham  Lincoln  was  wiser  than  all  the  political  leaders 
of  that  day.  All  of  them  told  him  that  he  would  be  defeated  in 
his  contest  for  the  Senatorship  unless  he  gave  up  his  purpose  to 
keep  to  the  front  the  slavery  question.  In  the  company  of  my 
father  one  evening  at  Springfield  I  heard  Mr.  Lincoln  say :  'If  I 
lose,  nobody  else  will  have  lost  anything;  I  am  the  chief  loser  if 
Douglas  defeats  me.  It  is  my  fight  and  I'll  fight  it  out  in  my 
own  way.' 

"I  can  now  see  that  the  Senatorship  was  not  the  goal  of  the 
great  Lincoln  during  that  debate  in  the  year  1858.  It  is  clear  to 
my  mind  now  that  Lincoln's  purpose  was  to  make  all  of  the  people 
of  the  United  States  hear  him  and  believe  with  him  that  'this 
country  cannot  endure  half  slave  and  half  free.' 

"If  he  might  be  elected  to  the  Senate,  well  and  good ;  he  would 
have  spread  broadcast  that  slogan.  If  he  should  be  defeated,  well 
and  good,  he  would  have  spread  broadcast  that  slogan.  He  did 
not  care  a  rap  for  a  seat  in  the  Senate,  except  as  a  means  to  the 
higher  end. 

"During  that  summer  and  fall  of  the  year  1858,  in  season  and 
out  of  season,  on  every  occasion  and  with  every  opportunity, 
Abraham  Lincoln  repeated  his  phrase :  'This  country  cannot  con- 
tinue to  exist  half  slave  and  half  free.' 

"No  wonder  that  my  father  regarded  him  as  the  wisest  man 
since  Solomon.  Douglas  did  not  comprehend  and  nobody  else 
comprehended  that  masterful  man.  In  their  presence  and  per- 
sistently in  their  hearing  he  was  writing  the  platform  of  his  party 
for  the  Presidential  year  of  1860.  At  the  same  time  he  was 
making  himself  the  logical  bearer  of  the  party  standard  on  that 
platform. 

"Moreover,  that  great  political  prophet  was  even  then  engaged 
in  preparing  the  people  for  the  Emancipation  Proclamation  which 
it  was  manifestly  ordained  that  he  should  write  and  fling  forth  to 
the  world.  Abraham  Lincoln  knew  what  he  was  doing,  and  he 
was  the  only  man  in  Illinois,  the  only  man  in  the  country  who 
knew  that  he  was  writing  the  platform  for  the  Republican  National 
Convention  of  1860 ;  was  gaining  the  votes  which  would  give  him 
the  Presidental  nomination;  was  sowing  the  seeds  which  would 
develop  into  the  votes  which  would  elect  him ;  was  aiming  even 
then  at  the  goal  of  human  freedom,  knowing  himself  to  be  the 
chosen  leader  of  the  people,  and  realizing  that  it  was  to  be  his 
mission  to  demonstrate  that  'this  nation  could  not  exist  half  slave 
and  half  free.'  In  that  debate,  at  all  times  and  under  all  circum- 

99 


stances  he  was  singing  the  anthem  of  oratory  which  should  compel 
all  of  our  people  to  join  in  the  chorus,  making  this  indeed  'the 
land  of  the  free.' 

"I  often  have  thought  that  my  father's  words  should  be  a  part 
of  the  history  of  that  man,  who  was  'the  wisest  of  men  since 
Solomon.' " 

Thus  it  would  seem  that  Colonel  Bright  wonderfully  condensed 
the  story  of  the  life  and  character  of  Abraham  Lincoln  in  the 
simple  statement  that  "no  sculptor  has  told  the  story  and  no  artist 
has  portrayed  the  mobile  features  of  Abraham  Lincoln." 

It  might  also  be  said  that  no  writer  has  ever  described  that 
human  being  with  character  almost  divine;  a  character  too  great 
to  be  comprehended  by  the  average  man,  and,  therefore,  toa 
broad  to  be  mortised  into  the  life  theories  of  the  average  man, 
however  well  he  may  wield  "the  pen  of  a  ready  writer,"  for  it  is  a 
character  which  inspires  a  race,  abides  in  the  hearts  of  tens  of 
millions  of  people  and  influences  a  titanic  nation,  leading  that 
nation  always  toward  the  liberty  of  mankind. 

Abraham  Lincoln's  incisive  phrase,  used  so  often  in  1858,  he 
would  today  write  in  these  words : 

"The  nations  of  the  world  cannot  longer  exist  part  of  them 
happy  in  the  liberty  of  republics  and  part  of  them  unhappy  in 
the  slavery  and  under  the  lash  of  'the  divine  right  of  kings.' ' 

WHEN  LINCOLN  AND  LEE  CAME  TOGETHER 

From  a  political  viewpoint,  indeed  from  every  angle,  the  cam- 
paign year  of  1860  was  so  eventful  as  to  require  separate  con- 
sideration by  every  student  of  the  history  of  our  country.  Each 
and  every  political  meeting,  during  the  four  or  five  months  pre- 
ceding election  day,  was  a  training  camp  for  soldiers.  The  demo- 
crats, followers  of  course  of  Andrew  Jackson,  familiarly  known 
as  "Old  Hickory,"  had  well-organized  and  well-drilled  marching 
clubs,  and  they  were  called  "Hickory  Clubs."  The  republicans 
also  had  well-organized  and  well-drilled  marching  clubs,  and  they 
were  called  "Wide-awakes." 

Political  meetings  were  attended  by  interested  crowds,  and 
usually  they  were  excited  crowds  too.  The  marching  clubs  car- 
ried long  poles,  and  on  the  top  of  each  pole  there  was  a  blazing 
torch — a  tin  can  containing  coal  oil.  Nowadays  that  earth  product 
is  not  known  as  coal  oil.  It  is  refined  and  known  to  the  present 
generation  as  kerosene. 

Colonel  Elmer  E.  Ellsworth,  popular  and  capable,  conducted 
his  well-uniformed  and  well-drilled  company  of  "Fire  Zouaves" 
all  over  the  country,  giving  exhibition  drills.  They  incited  com- 
pany formations  of  school  boys.  The  democratic  and  the  repub- 
lican marching  clubs  emulated  the  example  set  by  the  "Fire 

100 


Zouaves,"  and  they  drilled  for  the  purpose  of  making,  each,  a 
better  marching  appearance  than  their  political  rivals. 

Thus  it  happened  that  in  the  beginning  of  the  year  of  1861, 
when  a  free  republic  of  well  nigh  forty  million  people  became 
insane  and  proceeded  to  civil  war,  armies  were  formed  and  drilled 
in  quick  time,  for  the  political  campaign  had  actually  been  a  pre- 
paratory school  for  soldiers.  That  Abraham  Lincoln  was  elected 
and  that  his  journey  to  Washington  was  hazardous,  is  well  known. 
Thus  the  orbits  of  the  lives  of  Lincoln  and  Lee  began  to  approach 
each  other. 

LIEUTENANT  GENERAL  WINFIELD  SCOTT 

was  one  of  the  greatest,  most  loyal  and  praiseworthy  of  the  galaxy 
of  heroic  soldiers  who  have  commanded  our  army,  from  the 
beginning. 

Realizing  the  palpable  fact  that  President-elect  Lincoln's  life 
was  constantly  in  danger,  comprehending  his  own  grave  responsi- 
bilities, and  burdened  with  the  fact  that  his  advancing  years  had 
caused  physical  limitations,  General  Scott  ordered  the  most 
strusted  and  capable  of  his  aides  to  Washington  for  the  inaugura- 
tion day.  It  was  in  obedience  to  the  order  of  General  Scott  that 
the  ablest  Colonel  of  the  Army,  Colonel  Robert  E.  Lee,  left  his 
regiment  at  Fort  Mason,  Texas,  and  arrived  at  Arlington,  March 
1,  and  reported  to  General  Scott  at  army  headquarters  on  the 
morning  of  March  2,  1861.  To  Colonel  Robert  E.  Lee  was 
committed  the  responsibilities  and  the  military  authority  to  safe- 
guard Abraham  Lincoln,  on  his  first  inauguration  day.  History 
has  not  heretofore  given  ample  credit  and  the  well-deserved  full 
rneed  of 

PRAISE  TO  COLONEL  R.  E.  LEE 

to  which  he  is  entitled,  for  his  magnificent  management  of  affairs 
on  that  historic  occasion.  It  is  time  for  the  American  people  to 
know  and  to  give  credit  where  credit  belongs  and  honor  to  whom 
honor  is  due.  The  preservation  of  his  life  from  all  enemies, 
public,  private  and  secret,  was  understood  by  Abraham  Lincoln, 
because  General  Scott  personally  told  to  President  Lincoln  that 
Colonel  Robert  E.  Lee  had  been  summoned  to  Washington  spe- 
cifically for  that  military  duty;  and  that  he  had  performed  that 
duty  of  protecting  Abraham  Lincoln  on  inauguration  day,  as  he 
had  always  performed  every  duty  committed  to  him,  during  his 
quarter  of  a  century  of  honorable,  brave,  loyal  and  superior 
patriotic  services.  No  crime  was  committed,  for  no  crime  was 
possible,  on  account  of  the  absolutely  perfect  preliminary  and  pre- 
cautionary arrangements  which  had  been  made  under  the  direc- 
tions of  Colonel  Robert  E.  Lee,  for 

101 


THE  INAUGURATION  OF  ABRAHAM  LINCOLN 

on  the  4th  day  of  March,  1861.  It  is  recorded  that  the  weather 
in  Washington  on  that  date,  March  4,  1861,  was  beautiful  and 
invigorating,  although  the  political  skies  were  overcast  with  gloom, 
and  with  many  serious  premonitions  and  signs  of  the  great 
national  tragedy  which  was  about  to  be  enacted. 

Although  he  was  officially  engaged  at  the  Capitol,  President 
Buchanan  hastened  to  the  side  of  the  President-elect,  although  it 
is  known  that  some  false  friends  of  Mr.  Buchanan  insistently 
advised  him  to  ''Let  Lincoln  ride  alone."  But,  fearless  concerning 
his  own  safety,  President  Buchanan  was  too  wise,  too  patriotic, 
too  prudent  and  too  noble  a  man  to  heed  such  counsels.  He  knew 
that  his  presence  would  compel  respect  and  enhance  the  safety 
of  the  endangered  Lincoln. 

At  the  customary  hour  of  11  o'clock  in  the  morning  President 
Buchanan  and  Mr.  Lincoln  came  out  of  the  old  Willard  Hotel, 
arm  in  arm,  passed  between  files  of  regular  army  soldiers,  and 
entered  an  open  carriage.  Double  files  of  infantry  and  cavalry 
immediately  formed  on  each  side  of  them.  They  were  preceded 
by  a  company  of  regular  infantry,  and  were  closely  followed  by 
numerous  military  and  civic  organizations.  Most  noteworthy  was 
a  large  car  symbolizing  the  Union,  each  one  of  the  thirty-five 
States  being  represented  by  a  little  girl  dressed  in  white. 

Colonel  Lee  had  been  careful  to  have  skillful  riflemen  stationed 
upon  the  roofs  of  all  of  the  houses  in  both  sides  of  Pennsylvania 
Avenue  with  orders  to  fire  upon  any  one  who  might  appear  at 
any  of  the  windows  on  the  opposite  sides,  threatening  the  life  of 
the  President-elect.  All  of  them  were  picked  men,  veteran  Indian 
fighters,  on  whom  Colonel  Lee  could  confidently  rely.  Thus,  the 
last  great  service  of  Colonel  Robert  E.  Lee,  to  his  country,  pro- 
tecting the  life  and  guarding  the  safety  of  Abraham  Lincoln,  on 
inauguration  day,  was  one  of  his  greatest  services ;  but  his  biog- 
raphers and  panegyrists  have  not  heretofore  given  him  the  credit 
for  that  splendid  service. 

For  the  last  time  in  his  life  Chief  Justice  Taney  stood  upon 
the  inaugural  platform  and  administered  the  oath  of  office.  For 
the  Dred  Scott  decision,  the  lawyer  and  republican  politician, 
Abraham  Lincoln  had  vigorously,  not  to  say  viciously,  denounced 
the  venerable  Chief  Justice.  But  such  differences  of  opinion  never 
interfere  with  the  public  functions  and  duties  of  our  public 
officials. 

Immediately  following  the  administering  of  the  oath  of  office 
to  the  new  President  an  exceedingly  dramatic  incident  occurred. 
When  Abraham  Lincoln  came  to  the  front  of  the  platform  to 
begin  the  delivery  of  his  inaugural  address,  Senator  Stephen  A. 

102 


Douglas  of  Illinois,  for  many  years  a  person  friend  of  Abraham 
Lincoln  and  his  chief  competitor  in  the  presidential  campaign  of 
the  preceding  year,  arose  from  his  seat  amongst  the  Senators, 
stepped  to  the  front  and  took  his  stand  close  beside  Lincoln, 
ostensibly  for  the  purpose  of  holding  his  hat.  But,  as  a  matter  of 
fact,  Douglas  took  his  stand  alondside  the  great  man  from  his 
home  State  of  Illinois  as  an  emphatic  although  unspoken  warning 
to  all  present  that  any  shot  fired  at  Lincoln  would  certainly 
endanger  the  life  of  Douglas. 

During  the  delivery  of  the  entire  address  Senator  Douglas  stood 
there.  It  was  a  quiet,  brave,  noble,  and  magnificent  deed.  All 
persons  present  fully  comprehended  the  patriotic  purpose  of 
"The  Little  Giant,"  as  he  thus  patriotically  offered  his  own  life, 
if  need  be,  to  protect  the  life  of  the  President  of  the  United 
States. 

At  the  conclusion  of  his  address  President  Lincoln  stooped 
down,  lifted  up  and  kissed  each  one  of  the  little  girls  dressed  in 
white  who  represented  the  thirty-five  sovereign  States  of  the 
Union. 

Then,  escorted  as  before,  President  Lincoln  and  ex-President 
Buchanan  entered  the  open  carriage  and  participated  in  the  parade 
to  the  White  House. 

In  the  evening  there  was  an  Inaugural  Ball  in  a  temporary 
structure  located  in  Judiciary  Square,  where  the  Pension  Office  is 
now ;  but  for  precautionary  reasons  President  Lincoln  did  not 
attend. 


PROBABLY— POSSIBLY— MAYBE— PERHAPS 

Nothing  produced  by  mankind  is  more  flat,  stale  and  unprofitable 
than  the  conjectural  post  mortems  of  history.  Pamphlets,  lectures, 
orations,  and  some  pages  of  alleged  history  have  set  forth  all 
phases  of  the  guess-work  possibilities  or  probabilities  of  what 
turn  might  have  been  taken  by  diurnal  events,  if  Colonel  Robert 
E.  Lee  had  been  offered  or  had  accepted  the  command  of  the 
army  of  the  United  States.  Even  this  early  after  the  epochal 
chapter  of  our  history  many  men  have  questioned  whether  or  not 
the  chief  command  ever  was  offered  to  that  masterful  soldier. 

Senator  John  Warwick  Daniel  of  Virginia  gave  to  this  narrator 
the  most  sane  suggestion  that  has  been  offered  by  any  commentator 
concerning  the  springtime  of  1861.  You  must  remember  that  the 
incoming  President  was  surrounded  by  political  enemies,  with 
friends  as  scarce  as  four-leaf  clovers  in  Labrador.  Under  the 
direction  of  the  Secretary  of  War  of  the  preceding  administration 
the  army  had  been  so  disposed  as  to  be  useful  only  to  the  South, 
in  the  event  of  a  revolution.  All  of  the  regimental  commanders 

103 


were  in  sympathy  with  the  pending  revolution;  and  President 
Lincoln  had  only  one  adviser  in  military  affairs  whom  he  could 
trust,  and  he  did  not  follow  the  advice  of  General  Scott.  Senator 
Daniel  said  to  the  writer: 

"Now  that  it  is  all  over,  and  almost  forgotten,  speculation  is, 
as  you  say,  valuable  to  no  one,  but  always  interesting.  In  my 
judgment  President  Lincoln  made  only  one  fatal  mistake  and, 
maybe,  I  am  wrong  about  that.  But  it  has  always  been  my  belief, 
and  it  was  the  belief  of  General  Jubal  Early,  General  Joseph  E. 
Johnston,  General  James  Longstreet  and  others  with  whom  I 
served  and  with  whom  I  have  conversed,  that  there  would  have 
been  no  revolution  if  President  Lincoln  had  acted  upon  the  advice 
of  General  Scott  immediately  after  his  inauguration.  General 
Scott  could  see  that  the  revolution  was  inevitable  unless  the  State 
of  Virginia  should  refuse  to  join  with  the  Confederacy  which  was 
then  forming.  Virginia  was  reluctant  to  leave  the  Union,  and 
General  Scott  proposed  the  master  stroke  which  would  have  kept 
Virginia  away  from  the  Confederacy,  and  unalterably  with  the 
Federal  Government. 

That  statement  had  been  made  by  others,  but  never  with  such 
positive  utterance;  and  Senator  Daniel  was  asked  for  his  source 
of  information  upon  that  subject.  He  replied : 

"General  Lee  himself  told  me  at  Lexington.  General  Scott 
recommended  to  President  Lincoln  and  urged  upon  him  the  desig- 
nation of  Colonel  Robert  E.  Lee  to  the  chief  command  of  the 
army.  General  Scott  wanted  to  retire  because  of  his  advanced 
age.  General  Scott  knew  that  Colonel  Lee  was  the  ablest  and  best 
officer  to  succeed  him.  Personally  General  Scott  went  to  the 
White  House  and  urged  President  Lincoln  to  issue  the  order. 
But  as  Colonel  Lee  was  Southern  born  and  bred,  and  as  his 
sympathies  were  known  to  be  Southern,  and  as  he  had  been  taught 
State  Sovereignty  at  West  Point,  and  thoroughly  believed  in  that 
doctrine  and  unhesitatingly  said  so,  President  Lincoln  was  appre- 
hensive concerning  his  fidelity  and  loyalty,  and  he  would  not  make 
the  needful  movement. 

"General  Scott  privately  told  Colonel  Lee  what  he  was  doing, 
and  what  he  was  trying  to  induce  President  Lincoln  to  do. 
Colonel  Lee  assured  his  friend,  General  Scott,  that  he  would 
accept  the  command  if  then  tendered,  and  that  it  would  be  safe 
in  his  hands.  General  Scott  had  no  doubt  of  the  man  and  soldier 
whom  he  knew  so  well  and  so  highly  esteemed.  President  Lincoln 
did  not  know  Colonel  Lee  and  was  not  familiar  with  his  mag- 
nificent soldierly  record,  and  he  did  not  follow  the  advice  of 
General  Scott,  who  was  undoubtedly  his  safest  counsellor." 

Senator  Daniel,  in  reply  to  numerous  inquiries,  proceeded  to 
enlighten  his  listening  friend,  saying: 

104 


"Virginia  would  not  have  joined  the  Confederacy  if  Colonel 
Lee  had  been  placed  in  chief  command  of  the  army.  Colonel  Lee 
was  a  force  and  a  power  in  Virginia,  and  he  was  as  utterly  op- 
posed to  secession  as  was  Alexander  Stephens  and  many  other 
eminent  gentlemen.  With  the  army  under  the  command  of 
Colonel  Lee  all  Virginians  would  have  known,  and  without  even 
a  shadow  of  doubt,  that  there  would  be  no  invasion  of  Virginia ; 
that  no  invasion  would  even  be  contemplated,  and  the  leading 
secessionists  would  have  been  deprived  of  their  strongest  argu- 
ments. It  is  my  opinion  and  it  has  been  the  opinion  of  others 
who  were  well  informed  that  Virginia  would  not  have  joined  the 
Confederacy  if  Colonel  Lee  had  been  given  chief  command  of 
the  army." 

Senator  Daniel  was  then  asked :  "Did  you  ever  ask  General  Lee 
what  he  would  have  done  if  in  supreme  command?" 

"No.  sir,"  said  Senator  Daniel,  with  some  manifestation  of 
displeasure.  "No.  sir,  I  did  not  ask  General  Lee  if,  under  any 
circumstances,  he  would  have  been  or  could  have  been  other  than 
a  soldier  of  spotless  honor.  To  know  him,  as  General  Scott  knew 
him,  was  sufficient.  Whether  General  Lee  ever  said  so  or  not,  I 
do  not  know,  but  I  am  inclined  to  believe  that  he  must  have  so 
expressed  himself  in  the  family  circle,  for  his  son  'Rooney'  once 
said  to  me:  'If  my  father  had  been  placed  in  chief  command 
immediately  after  the  inauguration  of  Lincoln,  I  am  quite  sure 
that  he  would  have  gone  to  Richmond  wearing  his  uniform  and 
epaulettes  as  commander  of  the  Army  of  the  United  States,  and  his 
presence,  bearing,  and  suggestions  would  have  prevented  the  se- 
cession of  Virginia.' ' 

And  so.  ladies  and  gentlemen  of  the  United  States,  you  will 
comphehend,  at  last,  that  Robert  E.  Lee  was  more  sinned  against 
than  sinning. 

The  State  of  Virginia  adopted  the  ordinance  of  secession  on 
April  17.  1861.  Then,  and  not  until  then,  on  April  18,  the  very 
day  following  the  secession  of  his  native  State,  the  supreme  com- 
mand was  offered  to  Colonel  Lee.  It  was  taken  under  advisement 
i'or  two  days  and  then  it  was  declined.  It  was  too  late. 

General  Scott  had  been  anxious  to  have  that  tender  of  the  com- 
mand made  in  time.  Colonel  Lee  never  sought  that  command,  but 
he  would  have  accepted  it.  Fortunatelv  far  reliable  history,  Gen- 
eral Lee  has  given  the  inside  story  of  the  final  tender,  although  he 
has  given  it  very  'brieflv.  Some  violent  partisan  utterances  in  the 
Senate,  in  Februarv.  1868.  evoked  from  the  retired  hero  of  the 
southland  a  letter,  of  which  the  following  is  a  copy: 

105 


"Lexington,  Va.,  February  25,  1868. 
"Hqn.  Reverdy  Johnson,  United  States  Senate. 

"My  Dear  Sir:  I  never  intimated  to  any  one  that  I  desired  to 
command  the  United  States  Army;  nor  did  I  ever  have  any  con- 
versation, except  with  one  gentleman,  Mr.  Francis  Preston  Blair, 
on  the  subject,  which  was  at  his  invitation,  and,  as  I  understood, 
at  the  instance  of  President  Lincoln. 

"After  listening  to  his  remarks,  I  declined  the  offer  he  made 
me,  to  take  command  of  the  army  that  was  in  the  field ;  stating, 
as  kindly  and  as  courteously  as  I  could  that,  though  opposed  to 
secession  and  deprecating  war,  I  could  take  no  part  in  an  invasion 
of  the  Southern  States. 

"I  went  directly  from  the  interview  with  Mr.  Blair  to  the  offices 
of  General  Scott,  told  him  the  proposition  that  had  been  made 
to  me,  and  my  decision.  After  reflection,  on  the  second  morning 
after  that  I  forwarded  my  resignation  to  General  Scott." 

Inside  of  the  family  circle  it  was  known  that  General  Scott 
very  earnestly  urged  Colonel  Lee  to  accept  the  command.  Gen- 
eral Scott  believed  that,  even  then,  Virginia  would  retrace  her 
steps  politically,  and  remain  in  the  Union,  under  such  circum- 
stances. But  Colonel  Lee,  after  seriously  reflecting  upon  the 
great  problem,  concluded  that  the  tender  had  come  to  him  too  late. 
Consequently,  he  wrote  his  resignation  and  enclosed  it  in  a  letter 
to  General  Scott,  a  letter  which  we  can  read  today  only  with  tears, 
as  we  now  comprehend  how  moistened  likewise  must  have  been 
the  eyes  and  the  cheeks  of  that  great  and  good  man  whose  sense 
of  duty  impelled  him  to  break  the  associations  of  a  lifetime,  and 
to  do  so  with  a  breaking  heart.  Read  carefully,  and,  if  you  know 
how,  read  these  letters  prayerfully: 

"Arlington,  Washington  City  P.  O.,  April  20,  1861. 
"Honorable  Simon  Cameron,  Secretary  of  War. 

"Sir:     I  have  the  honor  to  tender  my  resignation  of  my  com- 
mand as  Colonel  of  the  First  Regiment  of  Cavalry. 
"Very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

"R.  E.  LEE, 
"Colonel,  First  Cavalry.'' 

That  letter  was  mailed  at  the  post-office  of  the  city  e>f  Washing- 
ton on  the  afternoon  of  the  date  of  the  letter,  April  20,  1861. 

At  the  same  time  the  following  personal  letter  was  mailed  to 
Lieutenant  General  Winfield  Scott,  Commanding  the  Army  of 
the  United  States.  Both  letters  were  autographic,  and  written 
with  a  quill  pen : 

106 


"Arlington,  Virginia,  April  20,  1861. 

"General:  Since  my  interview  with  you  on  the  18th  inst,  I 
have  felt  that  I  ought  not  longer  to  retain  my  commission  in  the 
Army.  I  therefore  tender  my  resignation,  which  I  request  you 
will  recommend  for  acceptance.  It  would  have  been  presented 
at  once  but  for  the  struggle  which  it  has  cost  me  to  separate  my- 
self from  a  service  to  which  I  have  devoted  the  best  years  c\f  my 
life,  and  all  of  the  ability  that  I  possessed. 

"During  the  whole  of  that  time — more  than  a  quarter  of  a  cen- 
tury— I  have  experienced  nothing  but  kindness  from  my  superiors 
and  a  most  cordial  fellowship  from  my  comrades. 

"To  no  one,  General,  have  I  'been  as  much  indebted  as  to  your- 
self for  uniform  kindness  and  consideration,  and  it  has  always 
been  my  ardent  desire  to  meet  your  approbation.  I  shall  carry 
to  the  grave  the  most  grateful  recollections  of  your  kind  consid- 
eration, and  your  name  and  fame  will  always  be  dear  to  me. 

"Save  in  the  defense  of  my  native  State,  I  never  desire  again 
to  draw  my  sword. 

"Be  pleased  to  accept  my  most  earnest  wishes  for  the  continu- 
ance of  your  happiness  and  prosperity.  Believe  me,  most  truly 
yours, 

"R.  E.  LEE." 

On  the  same  date,  April  20,  1861,  Colonel  Lee  wrote  to  his 
brother,  S.  S.  Lee,  as  follows: 

"My  Dear  Brother  Smith:  War  seems  to  have  commenced, 
and  I  am  liable  at  any  time  to  be  ordered  on  duty  which  I  could 
not  conscientiously  perform.  To  save  me  from  such  a  position, 
and  to  prevent  the  necessity  of  resigning  under  orders,  I  have 
had  to  go  at  once,  and  I  am  now  a  private  citizen  and  have  no 
other  ambition  than  to  remain  at  home." 


101 


ECCE  HOMO 

WHEN  the  Christ  was  briefly  outlining  the  grandeur  of  the 
glory  of  the  Almighty  in  all  things,  and  using  the  marvels 
of  vegetation  for  illustration.  He  said :  "Consider  the  lilies 
of  the  field.     Not  Solomon  in  all  his  glory  was  arrayed  as  one 
of  these."     And  you  must  comprehend  that  Solomon  has  never 
been  excelled  nor  exceeded  for  power,  glory  and  grandeur  by  any 
other  ruler. 

Whoever  would  properly  describe  President  Abraham  Lincoln 
must  find  some  such  expressively  powerful  illustration,  because 
not  Solomon,  Socrates,  nor  any  other  individual  of  intellectual 
achievement  was  ever  blessed  with  such  boundless  intellectual 
capabilities ;  and  yet,  the  men  and  women  of  his  day  and  gener- 
ation knew  as  little  of  his  unpretentious  superiority  over  them,  as 
your  neighbor  and  your  friend  know  of  the  marvelous  beauties  of 
the  lilies  of  the  field,  as  they  are  revealed  today  by  the  microscope. 

President  Abraham  Lincoln  undoubtedly  absorbed  the  words 
and  the  wisdom  of  the  Man  of  Gallilee  so  completely  that  his  daily 
life  reflected  that  philosophy.  Not  only  did  he  read,  but  he  be- 
lieved that  "sufficient  unto  the  day  is  the  evil  thereof."  More- 
over. President  Lincoln  understood,  comprehended  and  lived  in 
obedience  to  the  command :  "Take  ye  therefore  no  thought  for 
the  morrow." 

In  those  two  expressions  Mr.  Lincoln  undoubtedly  found  con- 
densed the  knowledge,  wisdom  and  influence  of  the  philosophies  of 
all  the  ages ;  for  the  meaning,  as  yet  unknown  to  the  millions  who 
have  their  names  enrolled  as  Christians :  the  lesson  of  those  two 
expressions  is  embraced  in  two  words :  "Don't  worry !" 

It  was  the  divinelv  given  revelation  to  the  mind  of  President 
Lincoln  that  enabled  him  to  meet  with  cheery  expressions  the 
heralds  bringing  news  of  disasters  and  distresses,  because  he  often 
repeated  the  inspired  words:  "Sufficient  unto  the  day  is  the  evil 
thereof." 

And  so.  with  the  light  of  a  God-given  superiority,  President 
Lincoln  illumined  the  doings  of  every  day  with  wise  philosophies 
which  were  quaint  to  those  around  him  who  "with  eyes  to  see, 
see  not."  And  for  these  reasons  it  is  deemed  fitting  to  invite  at- 
tention to  a  few  illustrations  of  his  philosophy  with  some 

108 


RARE  STORIES  OF  LINCOLN 

Secretary  Stanton  came  to  the  White  House  one  afternoon  to 
protest  against  a  pardon  which  President  Lincoln  had  issued  for 
a  soldier  sentenced  to  be  shot  for  desertion.  Stanton  said : 

"That  mother-in-law  who  came  to  you  this  morning  was  only 
shedding  crocodile  tears.  She  doesn't  care  for  that  son-in-law. 
I'm  told  that  she  merely  came  as  a  matter  of  duty,  because  she 
had  opposed  the  marriage  of  her  daughter  to  that  man,  and  to 
refuse  to  plead  for  his  life  would  have  been  almost  unpardonable. 
But  she  didn't  care  for  the  pardon  and  didn't  expect  it." 

"All  of  that  was  very  clear  to  me,  Stanton,"  was  the  reply  of 
the  wonderful  Lincoln. 

"I  only  looked  at  her  once,  and  then  patiently  listened  to  her. 
I  had  made  up  my  mind  to  issue  the  pardon  before  that  mother- 
in-law  began  to  talk  and  weep.  I  did  not  look  at  her  a  second 
time,  nor  pay  any  heed  to  what  she  was  saying.  The  pardon  was 
issued,  in  my  mind,  as  soon  as  I  looked  at  that  poor,  frail,  tear- 
less Madonna,  the  girl  who  would  soon  be  a  widow  but  for  me.  I 
led  the  poor  girl  to  a  seat,  then  wrote  and  placed  the  pardon  in 
her  hands.  I  bade  her  good-bye,  but  the  tears  that  fell  onto  my 
hand  were  from  the  eyes  of  the  child-wife,  whose  grief  had  'been 
so  deep  that  she  had  been  tearless  until  she  held  that  pardon." 

SENATOR  JAMES  HARLAN'S  NARRATIONS 

Senator  James  Harlan  of  Iowa,  valued  and  helpful  friend  of 
my  parentless  childhood,  walking  about  Mount  Pleasant,  Iowa, 
one  evening  while  the  writer  was  there  at  the  university,  narrated 
several  impressive  incidents  concerning  Lincoln,  in  whose  Cabinet 
he  had  served  as  Secretary  of  the  Interior,  and  all  of  those  stories 
have  lingered  vividly  in  memory. 

It  was  after  a  defeat  of  the  Federal  army  in  1863,  when  all 
loyal  men  were  agonized  and  apprehensive,  that  Senator  Harlan 
voiced  his  fears,  when  Abraham  Lincoln  said: 

"Men  do  not  realize  the  value  of  the  teachings  of  the  Man  of 
Xazareth.  Few  men  know  how  to  say  their  prayers,  and  fewer 
still  know  how  to  pray  at  all.  I  believe  in  God,  and  when  I  pray 
I  want  to  have  'my  windows  opened  toward  Jerusalem.' ' 

Senator  Harlan  then  said :  "My  young  friend,  you  should  read 
and  become  familiar  with  your  Bible.  In  that  one  sentence 
President  Lincoln  showed  his  familiarity  with  the  story  of  Daniel 
when  in  captivity:  for  when  all  prayer  (except  to  the  king)  had 
been  forbidden,  Daniel  continued  to  pray,  and  the  conspirators 
saw  that  he  fearlessly  'kept  his  windows  opened  toward  Jerusa- 
lem.' " 

Senator  Harlan  happened  to  be  at  the  White  House  one  morn- 

109 


ing  when  President  Lincoln  stated  his  solution  of  the  Mormon 
question  by  narrating  one  of  his  piercing  parables.  One  of  the 
callers  that  day  was  Governor  Cuming  of  Utah  Territory,  who 
had  been  recalled  from  that  position.  President  Lincoln  listened 
to  the  verbal  report  of  Cuming,  which  concluded  with  the  state- 
ment that  "no  Governor  of  Utah  can  be  successful,  nor  even  par- 
tially successful,  unless  he  becomes  a  Mormon  and  a  polygamist." 

"I  know  all  about  the  situation  there,  Cuming,"  replied  the 
President,  as  he  cordially  greeted  the  removed  official  and  raised 
his  voice  so  that  newspaper  men  and  others  could  hear  him  as  he 
said: 

"Your  administration  at  Salt  Lake  City  has  'been  satisfactory, 
and  I  am  making  a  change  wholly  on  account  of  that  Mormon 
question.  To  emphasize  my  confidence  in  you,  I  have  made  out 
your  appointment  for  another  position.  This  Mormon  question 
reminds  me  of  a  farmer  friend  of  mine  who  was  bothered  for 
>ears  by  a  big  black -gum  log  which  encumbered  one  of  his  best 
fields,  and  it  was  one  of  the  most  fertile  fields  in  Illinois,  too. 

"You  see,  Cuming,  that  log  was  too  big  to  be  moved,  and  it 
occupied  a  splendid  plot  for  corn  or  wheat.  It  was  toq  wet  to 
burn.  It  was  too  coarse  and  obstinate  of  texture  to  be  chopped 
or  split.  That  big  log  bothered  my  farmer  friend  every  day  in 
all  of  the  years  in  planting  and  in  growing.  During  harvesting 
time  it  even  kept  him  from  sleeping. 

PLOWING  AROUND 

"Sometimes,  during  the  many  years,  his  good  wife  would  hear 
the  deacon  uttering  words  which  were  unbecoming  for  a  deacon; 
but  she  did  not  reprove  him.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  that  big  black- 
gum  log  bothered  the  good  wife,  too,  for  it  diminished  her  proper 
number  of  sunbonnets,  gingham  aprons  and  parlor  furniture.  In 
their  old  age  she  was  made  very  happy  one  morning  in  spring- 
time when  Josiah  went  out  to  harness  the  horses  for  the  plowing, 
as  he  stood  in  the  door,  hat  in  hand,  and  said : 

"  'Mother,  I've  got  that  big  black-gum  log  question  off  of  my 
mind  at  last.  It's  all  settled.  It  won't  worry  us  any  more.' 

"  'Lan's  sakes,  Josiah,'  exclaimed  the  old  deaconess,  'how  on 
airth  have  you  got  it  done  for?' 

"  '  'Tain't  done  for,  Cynthy,'  he  replied.  'It's  jest  settled,  once 
and  fer  all.  We  must  do  jest  what  we  been  a'dojn'  all  the  time ; 
and  that's  the  only  thing  to  do.  We've  jest  got  to  plow  around 
the  derned  old  thing." 

And  now,  after  all  of  these  years,  the  long-time  troublesome 
Mormon  question  has  been  settled,  because  the  country  finally 
gave  up  the  subject  and  'just  plowed  around  it,'  until  it  settled 
itself. 

no 


SLANDER  MERELY  AMUSED  LINCOLN 

A  mischief-maker  told  President  Lincoln  that  his  Secretary  o,f 
War,  Stanton,  had  spoken  of  him  as  a  baboon.  .The  President 
made  the  mischief-maker  happy  by  seriously  asking  if  he  could 
prove  that  Stanton  had  said  such  a  thing.  The  reply  was : 

"Stanton  said  it  recently  to  Judge  Holt,  and  there  comes  Judge 
Holt  now.  You  can  ask  him." 

Still  looking  very  grave,  seemingly  offended  and  angry,  Presi- 
dent Lincoln  beckoned  to  Tudge  Holt,  who,  of  course,  responded 
immediately.  Then,  in  the  presence  of  the  happy  mischief-maker, 
Mr.  Lincoln  asked  if  Stanton  had  made  such  a  remark.  Judge 
Holt  tried  to  evade  the  question,  but  to  the  intense  gratification 
of  the  mischief-maker,  who  hated  Stanton,  the  President  in- 
sisted upon  an  answer,  and  finally  Judge  Holt  said: 

"Yes,  Mr.  President,  the  Secretary  of  War  did  speak  of  you 
as  a  big  baboon,  but  it  was  one  of-Stanton's  cursory  remarks.  I 
would  not  pay  any  attention  to  it  if  I  were  you." 

"But  I  must,"  said  President  Lincoln.  "If  you  had  said  such 
a  thing,  or  if  our  friend  here  had  called  me  a  baboon,  I  might  not 
pay  any  attention  to  it.  But  if  Stanton  said  it,  the  matter  is  a 
very  serious  one;  because,  as  you  know,  gentlemen,  Stanton  is 
generally  right." 

TRIBUTE  OF  SENATOR  FESS. 

Addressing  the  House  of  Representatives  of  the  American  Con- 
gress on  a  special  occasion,  Representative  Fess  said : 

"Who  is  this  man,  that  he  could  thus  speak  and  write?  Born 
in  a  hut  in  Kentucky ;  at  the  age  of  7  he  accompanied  his  parents 
and  sister  into  Indiana,  where  they  lived  one  winter  in  an  open 
camp  with  but  three  sides  to  it ;  and  yet,  without  having  gone  to 
school  more  than  six  months  all  told,  according  to  his  own  state- 
ment, here  is  a  man,  thus  starting  with  no  conveniences,  who 
reached  a  plane,  an  ability  to  speak  and  write  the  English  lan- 
guage not  reached  by  any  of  the  scholars  of  his  day. 

"Where  is  the  secret?  I  think  that  it  might  be  found  in  the 
sort  of  books  he  read. 

"The  one  book  with  which  he  was  quite  familiar  was  King 
James'  version  of  the  Bible.  I  once  heard  Parks  Cadman,  pastor 
of  the  greatest  Congregational  Church  in  the  world,  say  that 
Abraham  Lincoln's  verbal  knowledge  of  the  Bible  was  not  equaled 
by  any  of  the  theologians.  I  would  not  say  that  upon  my  own 
authority,  'but  cite  it  upon  his  authority. 

"Lincoln  knew  Shakespeare,  and  in  the  darkest  hours  of  the 
life  of  the  nation,  in  the  midst  of  great  depression,  often  when 
the  Cabinet  was  in  session,  Mr.  Lincoln  would  quote  page  after 

111 


page  of  Shakespeare,  until  the  scholarly  Seward  would  turn  to 
him  and  say : 

"  'Mr.  President,  our  understanding  has  been  that  you  have 
never  gone  to  school,  and  yet  you  quote  Shakespeare  as  I  do  nctf, 
and  I  am  regarded  somewhat  as  a  Shakespearian  scholar.' 

"  'Bunyan's  Pilgrim's  Progress'  was  another  book  that  he  read. 
Feed  a  growing  mind  upon  the  English  of  these  texts  and  you 
will  have  a  choice  of  English." 

The  scholarly  Congressman  also  said:  "I  think  that  the  high- 
water  mark  of  Lincoln's  mastery  of  expression  was  reached  when, 
looking  back  over  four  years  of  awful  war,  he  said : 

"Both  read  the  same  Bible  and  pray  to  the  same  God,  and  each 
invokes  His  aid  against  the  other.  The  prayers  of  both  could 
not  be  answered.  That  of  neither  has  been  answered  fully.  The 
Almighty  has  His  own  purposes." 

GETTYSBURG  SPEECH 

Go  to  the  British  Museum,  where  can  be  found  books  enough, 
if  put  on  a  single  shelf,  to  reach  forty  miles.  Ask  there  for  the 
finest  short  speech  in  the  English  language  and  you  will  be  handed 
at  once  the  splendid  piece  of  rhetoric,  high  mark  of  literary  ap- 
preciation and  statesmanlike  delivery,  uttered  by  Abraham  Lin- 
coln at  Gettysburg,  November  19,  1863,  beginning: 

"Fourscore  and  seven  years  ago,  our  fathers  brought  forth  on 
this  continent  a  new  nation,  conceived  in  liberty  and  dedicated  to 
the  proposition  that  all  men  are  created  equal." 

"Fondly  do  we  hope,  fervently  do  we  pray,  that  this  mighty 
scourge  of  war  may  speedily  pass  away.  Yet,  if  God  wills  that 
it  continue  until  all  the  wealth  piled  up  by  the  bondman's  two 
hundred  and  fifty  years  of  unrequited  toil  shall  be  sunk,  and 
until  every  drop  of  blood  drawn  by  the  lash  shall  be  paid  by  an- 
other drawn  by  the  sword,  as  was  said  three  thousand  years  ago, 
so  still  it  must  be  said.  'The  judgments  of  the  Lord  are  true  and 
righteous  altogether.' " 

From  the  cradle  to  the  grave  Abraham  Lincoln  was  blessed  with 
adversity  and  misfortune  sufficient  to  constantly  compel  his  best 
efforts  at  all  times. 

LINCOLN  LIKED  JOHN  MORGAN 

Congressman  Samuel  S.  Cox,  long  time  famous  in  the  halls  of 
Congress,  told  the  narrator  of  a  visit  which  he  hurriedly  paid  at 
the  White  House  one  morning  when  the  Confederate  raider,  John 
Morgan,  was  careering  over  Ohio,  doing  great  damage  and  seem- 
ingly incapable  of  defeat  or  capture.  Congressman  Cox  went  to, 
the  White  House  for  information,  saying  substantially: 

112 


"Mr.  President,  I  have  'been  to  the  War  Department,  but  can 
get  no  information  concerning  John  Morgan.  Can  you  tell  me 
anything  about  him  ?  Where  is  he  ?  Will  he  capture  Columbus  ? 
Will  he " 

"He  has  not  told  me  yet,"  replied  Mr.  Lincoln,  "but  I  would 
be  willing  to  make  a  bet  that  he  will  capture  Columbus  if  he  can, 
and  carry  off  your  live  stock  and  fancy  chickens,  Mr.  Cox,  if  he 
can  get  them.  No,  we  don't  know  this  morning  just  where  he  is, 
but  you  may  be  pretty  sure  that  our  boys  will  catch  him  soon. 
When  they  do  get  him,  I  want  to  see  him." 

ONE  OF  MORGAN'S  TRICKS 

"I  like  that  rascal,  Mr.  Cox,  like  him  very  much,"  continued  Mr. 
Lincoln.  "John  has  a  sense  of  humor  which  thoroughly  human- 
izes him.  He  captures  mail  trains,  examines  all  of  the  letter  mail, 
lets  ordinary  correspondence  go  right  along,  but  the  big  envelopes 
with  the  War  Department  imprint  he  takes  possession  of,  exam- 
ines, and  uses  for  his  own  military  purposes.  Only  this  morning 
I  heard  of  one  of  his  tricks,  and  what  do  you  suppose  it  was? 

"In  one  of  the  big  envelopes  there  was  a  commission  promoting 
a  second  lieutenant  to  be  major  of  his  regiment;  the  promotion 
was  made  for  merit  and  courage.  Down  in  one  corner  of  the 
commission  John  read  the  words,  'Approved,  A.  Lincoln.' 

"  'Approved  by  me,  also,  John  Morgan,'  the  raiding  rebel  wrote, 
and  he  forwarded  that  commission  to  the  worthy  officer.  I  tell 
you,  friend  Cox,  I  like  John  and  hope  to  see  him  one  of  these  days, 
and  very  soon." 

AMERICA'S  GREATEST  DIPLOMAT 

Even  so  strong  and  patriotic  a  man  as  Horace  Greeley  pub- 
lished an  open  letter  to  Lincoln,  in  1863,  calling  the  President  an 
opportunist  and  denouncing  his  policies.  In  his  reply  Mr.  Lincoln 
plainly  stated  that  he  did  not  want  to  be  known  in  history  as  "The 
Emancipator,"  'but  that  his  chief  purpose  was  to  "save  the  Union.'' 
Here  are  his  words : 

"My  paramount  object  is  to  save  the  Union,  and  not  either  to 
save  or  destroy  slavery.  If  I  could  save  the  Union  without  free- 
ing any  slave,  I  would  do  it.  If  I  could  save  it  by  freeing  all  of  the 
slaves,  I  would  do  it. 

"I  am  ready  to  accept  any  new  views  as  soon  as  they  are  proved 
to  be  true  views." 

Well,  by  the  course  which  he  pursued  the  Union  was  saved, 
and  today  it  is  the  Gibraltar  of  the  democracy  of  the  world.  Great 
as  was  the  cause  of  emancipation  for  the  enslaved  people,  greater 

113 


was  the  cause  of  saving  this  Union  and  making  it  the  great  nation 
that  it  is  today,  "one  and  inseparable." 

Judah  P.  Benjamin,  subsequently  one  of  the  greatest  lawyers 
known  in  Great  Britain,  formerly  Senator  from  Louisiana,  in 
1863,  was  one  of  the  greatest  constitutional  and  international  law- 
yers in  America.  He  was  Secretary  of  State  of  the  Confederacy 
and  one  of  the  greatest  diplomats  in  the  world.  Under  his  direc- 
tion, consular  agents  had  secured  from  Great  Britain  and  France 
assurances  of  the  recognition  ci  the  Confederacy,  while  they  had 
also  secured  encouragement  from  Italy  and  Germany.  Senator 
James  Harlan  of  Iowa,  intimate  friend  of  President  Lincoln, 
and  of  his  son,  Robert  Todd  Lincoln,  who  married  Mary  Harlan, 
daughter  of  Senator  Harlan,  had  his  home  in  Mount  Pleasant, 
Iowa,  and  the  very  learned  Senator  became  interested  in  a  hard- 
working, bread-winning  student  of  a  college  located  there  and 
helped  him  in  many  ways.  On  one  occasion  Senator  Harlan  gave 
the  young  man  this  item  of  wonderful  interest  which  seems  not 
to  have  been  known  to  history  heretofore.  Senator  Harlan  said : 

"President  Lincoln  did  not  tell  his  Secretary  of  State  nor  any- 
one else  his  purpose  when  he  issued  the  proclamation  of  Septem- 
ber; and  it  was  not  a  Proclamation  of  Emancipation.  It  was  a 
proclamation  of  warning,  and  threatening  emancipation  unless  the 
Government  at  Richmond  should  cease  its  revolution. 

"President  Lincoln  hoped  and  very  earnestly  hoped  that  Secre- 
tary Benjamin  or  some  other  astute  Confederate  would  under- 
stand the  situation  and  act  accordingly.  But  nobody  seemed  to 
comprehend  President  Lincoln,  the  war  continued,  and  on  the 
first  of  the  following  January,  President  Lincoln  was  obliged  to 
issue  the  Emancipation  Proclamation,  as  a  fulfillment  of  the 
threatening  warning  which  he  had  issued  three  months  before 
that  New  Year  day. 

"That  Emancipation  Proclamation  was  a  stroke  of  diplomacy 
rather  than  an  a'bolition  movement.  That  proclamation  demon- 
strated Abraham  Lincoln  to  be  a  greater  diplomat  than  Judah  P. 
Benjamin ;  indeed,  one  of  the  greatest  diplomats  in  the  whole 
world. 

"That  Proclamation  of  Emancipation  put  the  people  and  the 
Government  of  the  Southern  Confederacy  in  the  attitude  of  fight- 
ing, primarily  and  almost  exclusively,  for  human  slavery.  Thus 
Lincoln,  the  great  diplomat,  made  it  impossible  for  any  of  the 
courts  of  the  crowned  heads  of  Europe  to  give  recognition  to  the 
Southern  Confederacy." 

With  this  information  from  such  an  authoritative  source,  the 
writer  has  stated  and  repeats  with  emphasis  that  Abraham  Lin- 
coln was  not  primarily  an  emancipator,  but  the  greatest  diplomat 
in  the  world  when  he  issued  that  proclamation. 

114 


LINCOLN  APPEARS  LIKE  THE  MAN  OF  GALILEE 

After  the  second  battle  of  Bull  Run,  sick  and  wounded  soldier 
boys  from  Confederate  as  well  as  Federal  lines  were  conveyed  to 
Washington  and  placed  in  the  general  hospitals  there.  On  the 
last  Saturday  in  September  of  that  year.  President  Lincoln  started 
out  from  the  White  House  in  the  morning  with  the  determination 
that  he  would  visit,  if  possible,  all  of  the  hospitals ;  and  the  entire 
day  was  spent  inspecting  conditions  and  encouraging  the  unfor- 
tunates with  the  kind  words  of  the  famous  President  of  the 
United  States.  In  the  evening,  near  sundown,  after  leaving  the 
Navy  Yard  Hospital,  the  tired  and  weary  President  was  about 
entering  the  carriage  to  return  to  the  White  House,  after  an  un- 
usually strenuous  day,  when  a  nurse  came  running  after  him  and 
asking  if  he  would  return  and  see  again  a  Confederate  soldier 
boy,  less  than  sixteen  years  of  age,  who  was  dying.  The  tired 
President  promptly  responded  to  the  call,  re-entered  the  hospital, 
went  to  the  bedside  of  the  badly-wounded  boy,  gently  caressed 
him  and  asked : 

"What  can  I  do  for  you,  my  boy  ?    Anything  ?" 

"Yes,  Mr.  President,"  replied  the  boy  in  feeble  tones,  "I  hope 
that  you  can  tell  me  what  my  mother  would  want  me  to  do  or  to 
say  before  I  pass  away." 

"I  am  glad  you  sent  for  me,  my  boy,"  said  President  Lincoln 
as  he  knelt  beside  the  cot,  took  the  boy's  head  and  shoulders  in  his 
arms  and  said :  "I  am  very  sure  your  mother  would  want  you  to 
repeat  these  words  after  me,"  and  the  boy  did  repeat  the  prayer 
of  his  childhood  as  Abraham  Lincoln,  President  of  the  United 
States,  knelt  there  holding  the  boy  in  his  arms  and  saying : 

"  'Now  I  lay  me  down  to  sleep, 
I  pray  the  Lord  my  soul  to  keep, 
If  I  should  die  before  I  wake, 
I  pray  the  Lord  my  soul  to  take.' ' 

That  is  the  greatest  picture  ever  painted  of  Abraham  Lincoln, 
for  it  shows  him  in  the  character  of  the  Man  of  Galilee.  The 
dying  Confederate  soldier  boy  lived  long  enough  to  repeat  the  last 
line,  and,  leaving  his  body  in  the  arms  of  the  President  of  the 
United  States,  his  spirit  "ran  up  with  joy  the  shining  way  to  see 
and  praise  the  Lord." 

RESTRAINING  RESTLESS,  RECKLESS  "ROONIE" 

On  the  17th  of  April,  1861,  the  ordinance  of  secession  was 
passed  by  the  Legislature  of  Virginia.  On  the  following  day,  the 
18th  of  April,  the  command  of  the  United  States  Army  was 
offered  to  Colonel  Robert  E.  Lee,  and  the  proposition  was  laid 
before  General  Winfield  Scott,  the  veteran  military  hero,  who  was 

115 


Colonel  Lee's  best  friend,  and  the  great  soldier  urgently  advised 
Colonel  Lee  to  accept  the  offer. 

While  Colonel  Lee  was  trying  to  induce  himself  to  view  this 
offer  favorably,  the  Sixth  Massachusetts  infantry  came  to  Balti- 
more on  April  19,  and  was  dbliged  to  fight  its  way  through  mobs 
in  order  to  continue  its  journey  to  the  defense  of  the  National 
Capital.  On  the  morning  of  the  20th  of  April  Colonel  Lee,  in 
his  home  at  Arlington  mansion,  read  an  account  of  the  battle  in 
Baltimore,  turned  to  his  faithful  wife  and  said: 

"Mary  Ann,  the  war  is  on.  Nothing  can  now  prevent  the  in- 
vasion of  Virginia.  I  must  write  and  send  in  my  resignation  at 
once." 

As  explained  in  preceding  pages,  the  resignation  was  forwarded 
to  General  Scott  and  on  the  22nd  o^  April  Colonel  Lee,  accom- 
panied by  his  family,  turned  their  backs  upon  the  great  estate 
and  with  their  faces  towards  Richmond,  the  Capital  of  the  newly- 
created  Confederacy,  they  left  their  home  forever. 

Two  large  wagons  were  filled  with  household  goods  and  me- 
mentoes, all  of  the  Lares  and  Penates  and  heirlooms  of  the  Lees 
were  leaded  on  those  wagons,  and  yet  many  thousand  dollars 
worth  of  silverware  and  gold  were  left  in  the  colonial  mansion 
in  care  of  the  slaves  who  were  never  again  to  see  their  masters 
nor  their  mistress. 

As  the  evening  sun  was  silvering  the  tree  tops  and  tinting  with 
gold  the  eastern  horizon,  Mary  Ann  Randolph  Lee  walked  towards 
the  graves  of  her  father  and  mother,  one  hundred  yards  south  of 
the  mansion,  and  knelt  between  those  graves  in  silent  prayer. 
While  kneeling  there  she  was  joined  quietly  by  her  husband  and 
her  sons  Custis,  "Rooney"  and  Robert. 

Upon  their  return  to  the  mansion,  the  young  gentlemen  mounted 
horses  while  Colonel  Lee  entered  the  large  carriage,  but  his  wife 
turned  away  and  went  to  the  front  of  the  mansion  where  she  dis- 
covered "Rooney"  Lee  upon  the  poftico  which  he  had  climbed, 
hauling  down  the  Stars  and  Stripes. 

"Stop,  Rooney,  stop  where  you  are,"  exclaimed  his  mother, 
"but  leave  the  flag  where  it  is  at  half  mast.  That  properly  ex- 
presses the  funereal  feeling  of  my  heart." 

So  it  happened  that  "Rooney"  was  restrained  from  his  rebel- 
lious purpose  and  when  the  Lee  family  left  Arlington  mansion 
the  Stars  and  Stripes,  although  at  half  mast,  were  still  afloat. 

SAD  LAST  SCENE  AT  ARLINGTON 

Before  entering  the  carriage  with  her  husband  the  unhappy 
great  grand-daughter  of  Martha  Washington  turned  towards  the 
mansion  and  exclaimed : 

"Virginia,  oh,  Virginia,  my  native  State,  for  thee  all  that  I 
have  I  :now  resign.  Good-bye,  playground  of  my  childhood,  good- 

116 


bye  play-ground  of  my  children,  good-bye  home  of  my  father  and 
mother,  good-bye  home  of  my  husband.  All  this  and  all  that  I 
have  and  all  that  I  ever  have  had,  I  resign  for  my  native  State, 
Virginia.  Good-bye,  Arlington.  God  save  Virginia!" 

DAUGHTER  OF  PRESIDENT  JOHN  TYLER 

When  Letitia  C.  Tyler,  daughter  of  former  President  John 
Tyler,  was  in  the  sixtieth  year  of  her  age,  in  the  year  1908,  she 
said  to  the  writer  of  this  historic  story : 

"I  was  visiting  a  school  chum  in  Alabama  and  thus  happened 
to  be  in  Montgomery  on  March  4,  1861,  when  the  Government 
of  the  Confederacy  was  inaugurated.  I  was  only  fourteen  years 
old  and  only  looked  upon  it  as  an  unusual  lark  when  the  honor 
was  given  to  me  to,  haul  aloft  the  first  flag  of  the  Confederacy.  I 
stood  alongside  of  the  cupola  of  the  State  House  in  Montgomery, 
pulled  the  rope  and  hauled  up  the  flag;  but  my  hands  were  too 
small,  and  my  muscles  too  weak ;  so  a  well-clad  and  well-bred 
Irish  gentleman  laid  down  on  the  roof  alongside  o-f  me  and  hauled 
the  flag  in  place,  so  that  no'body  in  making  a  report  of  the  affair 
knew  anything  of  the  presence  of  my  assistant.  His  name  was 
not  known  to  me  and  it  never  will  be  known  in  history,  although 
it  should  be.  I,  alone,  have  been  honored  with  the  place  in  history 
as  having  been  the  one  who  hauled  up  to  the  breezes  the  first  flag 
of  the  Confederacy." 

ORIGIN  OF  "THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS" 

One  of  the  greatest  battle  flags  ever  known,  one  under  which 
tens  of  thousands  of  brave  American  soldiers  fought  for  the  Con- 
federacy, and  under  which  many  thousands  of  them  were  killed 
and  wounded,  was  generally  known  as  "The  Southern  Cross." 
That  wonderful  flag  was  originated  in  the  brain  of  Hamilton 
Dudley  Coleman,  a  16-year-old  boy  who  admired,  followed,  and 
afterwards  became  a  member  of  the  Washington  Artillery  of 
New  Orleans,  La.  In  that  organization  he  served  as  a  private 
soldier  after  the  year  1863. 

During  the  first  great  battle  of  the  war,  o»n  July  21,  1861,  it 
was  discovered  that  the  likeness  of  the  Stars  and  Bars  to  the 
Stars  and  Stripes  rendered  it  unfit  for  use  in  battle.  Just  at  that 
time  the  Washington  Arlillery  arrived  and  floated  "The  Southern 
Cross"  over  the  tent  of  their  commanding  officer.  General  Joseph 
E.  Johnston  immediately  recognized  its  value  as  a  battle  flag, 
adopted  it,  raised  it  over  his  own  headquarters,  and  that  was  the 
beginning  of  the  famous  "Southern  Cross"  of  the  Confederacy. 
The  original  design  was  made  by  young  Coleman. 

In  the  Library  of  Congress  there  is  a  history  of  the  Washington 

117 


Artillery,  and  one  of  the  illustrations  shows  "The  Southern  Cross" 
floating  over  the  headquarters  of  the  battery  at  New  Orleans, 
before  the  organization  went  to,  the  battle  fronts. 

BATTLE  OF  BRANDY  STATION 

Unconsciously  to  themselves,  Lincoln  and  Lee  came  together 
in  a  dramatic  and  tragic  manner  as  the  result  of  a  battle  on  June 
10,  1863 ;  a  contest,  which,  in  those  days  of  great  struggles,  was 
practically  inconsequential.  It  is  known  as  the  Battle  of  Brandy 
Station.  During  the  battle,  which  was  an  onslought  by  the  Con- 
federate cavalry,  Brigadier  General  W.  H.  F.  Lee  was  wounded 
in  the  groin ;  an  injury  similar  to  that  which  had  caused  the  death 
of  the  great  Confederate  tactician  and  brave  leader,  General  Al- 
bert Sidney  Johnston  at  the  preceding  great  battle  of  Pittsburgh 
Landing,  a  battle  in  which  the  sun  of  fame  and  fortune  would 
have  set  forever  on  General  Ulysses  S.  Grant,  but  for  the  death  of 
the  Confederate  General  Johnston. 

When  "Rooney"  was  wounded  in  that  battle  and  was  falling 
from  his  horse,  another  Lee,  with  military  intuition  and  courage 
marching  in  the  direction  of  a  sound  of  conflict,  came  galloping 
upon  the  field,  and  that  other  Lee  was  the  great  Confederate  Com- 
mander, General  Robert  E.  Lee,  who  saw  his  beloved  son  as  he 
was  lifted  from  the  charger  and  laid  upon  a  stretcher.  Under 
direction  of  the  father,  the  wounded  son  was  taken  to  the  home 
of  General  Wickham,  uncle  of  his  wife,  and  cared  for  there  while 
General  Robert  E.  Lee  returned  to  the  battle  field. 

Within  a  very  few  hours,  the  wife  of  "Rooney"  was  'by  his 
bedside  and  he  was  receiving  every  attention  that  was  required 
and  that  could  be  given.  But  a  troop  of  Federal  cavalry 
surrounded  the  residence  of  General  Wickham,  captured  the 
wounded  General,  took  him  away  from  his  weeping  wife  and 
screaming  children,  and  conveyed  him  to  Fortress  Monroe,  where 
he  was  placed  on  a  cot  in  the  Federal  Hospital. 

"GOD  BE  WITH  YOU  TILL  WE  MEET  AGAIN" 

Couriers  and  messengers  conveyed  the  sad  news  to  the  mother 
of  "Rooney"  and  also  to  his  marvelous  and  miraculously  incom- 
parable brother,  General  George  Washington  Custis  Lee,  who 
was  on  the  staff  of  the  President  of  the  Confederate  States  at 
his  headquarters  in  Richmond.  Without  delay,  Custis  Lee  ob- 
tained permission  from  President  Davis  and  immediately  hastened 
to  the  side  of  the  wife  of  his  younger  brother. 

Charlotte  ran  to  Custis,  embraced  him,  remained  in  his  arms 
with  her  head  upon  his  shoulder,  as  she  had  stood  beside  him 
several  years  previously  in  the  War  Department  at  Washington. 
On  the  former  occasion,  her  beautiful  face  was  wreathed  in  be- 

118 


witching  smiles;  but  on  this  occasion  the  Confederate  uniform 
of  General  Custis  Lee  was  dampened  with  a  torrent  of  tears. 
Custis  Lee,  without  reserve,  held  the  wife  of  his  brother  in  his 
arms  and  stroked  her  golden  curly  locks  with  sympathetic  and 
parental  affection.  When  the  sobs  ceased  to  pervade  the  room, 
Custis  said: 

"Charlotte,  you  must  go  to  the  mountains  and  care  for  your 
health  and  the  health  of  the  little  girls.  I  am  going  under  a  flag 
of  truce  to  see  your  wounded  husband  and  tell  him  that,  so  long 
as  I  live,  my  younger  brother  shall  receive  my  affection  and  pro- 
tection." 

"I  am  glad  you  are  going,  Custis,"  said  Charlotte,  "'because  I 
know  your  great  heart  so  well  that  I  would  not  be  surprised  if 
yo'u  would  give  up  your  life  for  your  brother  or  even  for  me." 

Charlotte  did  not  know,  and  she  never  did  know,  that  the  life 
of  her  husband  was  in  grave  danger  at  that  time.  Custis,  how- 
ever, did  know  that  the  Federal  Secretary  of  War,  Stanton,  in 
Washington,  had  issued  an  order  that  "Rooney"  should  be  held 
as  a  hostage  for  Federal  officers  in  Richmond,  who  were  threat- 
ened with  hanging,  and  a  further  order  that  "Rooney"  Lee  should 
be  hanged,  if  those  Federal  officers  should  be  required  to  suffer 
that  fate. 

"If  it  were  necessary  to  save  the  life  of  'Rooney,'  "  said  Custis, 
"I  would  gladly  offer  my  life  in  place  of  his.  And  I  want  to 
assure  you,  Charlotte,  that  if  we  never  meet  again,  and  the  neces- 
sity should  arise,  I  will  offer  my  life  for  my  brother  on  his  own 
account,  but  even  more,  my  dear  Charlotte,  because  of  his  wife, 
the  girl  whom  I  have  loved  from  her  babyhood,  the  girl  whom  I 
gave  up  and  for  whom  I  have  remained  a  bachelor  because  my 
brother  loved  her  so  much." 

Charlotte  glided  from  his  arms  and  fell  on  the  floor  in  a  faint. 
Her  mother  in  the  next  room  hastened  to  her  side.  When  Char- 
lotte recovered  and  seated,  with  heart-breaking  sobs  which  words 
cannot  describe,  she  said : 

"Mother,  at  last  I  have  learned  the  truth.  It  is  as  I  told  you. 
My  life-long  love  for  Custis  has  been  fulfilled  by  the  life-long 
love  of  Custis  for  me.  He  is  going  nqw  to  the  side  of  his  wounded 
brother,  not  only  for  'Rooney V  sake,  but  for  my  sake." 

Charlotte  went  again  to  Custis  and  said :  • 

"You  do  not  realize,  Custis,  how  near  the  end  of  life  I  am. 
I  have  been  an  honest  and  faithful  wife  to  'Rooney,'  but  all  of  the 
love  of  my  heart  has  been  yours,  and  if  I  should  live,  which  I 
do  not  believe  is  possible,  we  must  not  meet  again  in  this  life. 
And  so,  Custis,  we  must  part  and  I  must  say  gocd-bye;  but  my 
heart  is  happier  for  this  meeting.  So  good-bye,  Custis.  Go  to 
my  husband,  care  for  your  brother,  and  'God  be  with  you  'till 
we  meet  again.' ' 

119 


CUSTIS  UNDER  FLAG  OF  TRUCE 

After  leaving  Charlotte  with  her  wonderful  good-bye  words 
ringing  in  his  ears  and  stamped  forever  on  his  brain,  Custis  Lee 
went  to  the  headquarters  of  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia  and 
obtained  from  his  father  a  pass  through  the  lines  with  a  flag 
of  truce,  and  under  that  flag  of  truce  he  proceeded  to  Fortress 
Monroe.  Upon  his  arrival  there,  he  said  to  the  Commander  of 
that  fort : 

"I  have  come,  sir,  to  see  my  wounded  brother,  General  W.  H.  F. 
Lee,  and  to  offer  myself  as  a  hostage  in  his  place.  Let  there  'be 
an  order  issued  to  retain  me  and  send  my  brother  back  to  his  wife 
and  children.  If  you  want  to  break  the  heart  of  General  Robert 
E.  Lee,  you  can  accomplish  that  purpose  by  hanging  his  oldest  son 
instead  of  the  younger  son.  I  am  a  bachelor.  You  need  not 
crush  and  mangle  an  innocent  woman  and  children  even  in  time 
of  war.  Take  your  vengeance  out  on  me." 

Startled,  astounded  and  unable  to  comprehend  this  marvelous 
development  of  the  doctrine  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  the  Federal 
commander  quoted  the  words : 

"Greater  love  hath  no  man  than  this,  that  he  will  lay  down  his 
life  for  another." 

Inasmuch  as  it  was  far  beyond  his  authority  to  accomplish 
such  a  purpose,  the  Federal  Commander  telegraphed  the  Secretary 
of  War  at  Washington  fc\r  permission  to  accept  the  offer  of  Gen- 
eral Custis  Lee  to  become  an  hostage  for  his  brother,  and  to  die 
for  his  brother.  The  implacable  Secretary  of  War.  Stanton,  at 
Washington,  replied : 

"Hold  both  of  the  sons  of  Robert  E.  Lee  until  further  orders." 
The  excuse  for  that  order  was  that  two  Federal  Captains  were 
under  sentence  in  Richmond.  They  were  to  be  hanged  in  reprisal 
for  the  hanging  of  two  Confederate  spies  in  Tennessee,  by  order 
of  the  Federal  General  Burnside,  some  weeks  previously.  Secre- 
tary Stanton  was  relentless  and  implacable  against  the  Confed- 
eracy and  against  every  individual  participant  in  the  Confederate 
cause. 

LEE  AND  JEFFERSON  DAVIS 

Information  concerning  this  horrible  and  frightful  war  condi- 
tion was  conveyed  to,  Robert  E.  Lee  and  he  hastened  to  Richmond 
for  the  aid  of  President  Jefferson  Davis.  After  the  case  had 
been  stated  to  him,  President  Davis  said : 

"You  needn't  worry,  General  Lee,  because  A.  Lincoln  will  not 
permit  such  an  outrage." 

"Lincoln  will  not  know  anything  about  this  condition,"  replied 
General  Lee.  Stanton  will  carry  out  this  diabolical  purpose  and 

120 


Lincoln  will  know  nothing  of  it  until  it  has  been  accomplished 
and  both  of  my  sons  are  dead." 

President  Jefferson  Davis  then  pulled  the  big  bell  rope  to  sum- 
mon his  military  aide.  He  then  took  a  pen  and  wrote  a  telegram 
to  President  Lincoln  requesting  his  interference  to  save  the  lives 
of  the  sons  of  General  Lee,  and  when  the  aide  arrived,  President 
Davis  read  the  telegram  to  General  Lee,  then  handed  it  to  the  aide 
and  said : 

"Send  that  through  the  military  lines.  Request  the  Federal 
Commander  to  see  that  that  goes  directly  to  Abraham  Lincoln  in 
the  White  House." 

General  Lee  grasped  the  hand  of  his  Chieftain  and  the  gray- 
haired  soldier,  with  his  beard  jjrown  gray  in  the  service  of  the 
United  States  Army,  grasped  the  hand  of  the  President  and  said : 

"That  will  cause  delay,  Mr.  President,  undoubtedly,  and  at  least 
one  of  my  sons  can  be  saved  and  I  cannot  express  my  gratitude 
and  thanks  in  words." 

"It  will  not  only  cause  delay,"  replied  President  Davis,  "but  it 
will  save  the  lives  of  both  of  your  sons;  for,  you  must  know, 
General  Lee,  that  I  have  great  admiration  for  that  rail-splitter 
President  in  Washington.  Abe  Lincoln  is  neither  a  Goth  nor  a 
Vandal.  When  Lincoln  knows  this  case,  he  will  save  your  splen- 
did boys.  I  'believe  that  he  will  give  Stanton  a  tanning,  too.'' 

LINCOLN  AND  STANTON 

It  was  nearing  midnight  when  the  Secretary  of  War  entered 
the  White  House  in  response  to  an  unusually  mandatory  message 
from  President  Lincoln  and  when  he  stood  before  that  marvelous 
man.  President  Lincoln  handed  him  the  telegram  and  said : 

"What  does  this  mean?  Tell  me  the  entire  story  and  omit 
nothing." 

Secretary  Stanton  stated  the  case  with  his  habitual  earnestness 
and  mandatory  manner.  He  wound  up  his  statement  by  saying: 

"Mr.  President,  the  lives  of  those  two  Federal  Captains  are  as 
precious  to  their  families  as  are  the  lives  of  those  Lee  boys  to 
their  family.  If  our  men  are  hanged  in  Richmond,  both  of  the 
sons  of  Robert  E.  Lee  should  be  hanged." 

President  Lincoln  walked  about  the  room  stroking  his  forehead 
with  his  left  hand,  as  was  his  custom  upon  occasions  requiring 
all  of  his  judicial  and  executive  ability,  and  finally  he  said : 

"Stanton,  the  doctrine  of  'an  eye  for  an  eye  and  a  tooth  for  a 
tooth'  was  superseded  long  ago  by  a  sacrifice  upon  the  Cross  at 
Mount  Calvary.  The  One  that  was  hanged  upon  that  Cross  had 
said :  'A  new  commandment  I  give  unto  you,  that  you  love  one 
another.'  Stanton,  if  a  crime  is  committed  in  Richmond,  I  cannot 
prevent  it.  But  a  crime  like  that  committed  under  my  jurisdiction 

121 


would  stamp  upon  my  heart  by  command  of  my  conscience  the 
word  'murderer.'    Stanton,  it  can't  be  done.    It  shan't  be  done!" 
Stanton  undertook  to  argue  the  case  further,  but  President  Lin- 
coln interrupted  him  by  saying: 

"Stanton,  we  are  not  savages.    Let  us  see  what  the  book  says.'' 

President  Lincoln  opened  wide  a  large  edition  of  the  Bi'ble, 
which  was  always  upon  his  desk.  Turning  to  the  New  Testament, 
he  laid  aside  leaf  after  leaf  until  finally  he  came  to,  the  page  which 
he  knew  so  well  and  said : 

"Stanton,  here  is  a  command  from  Almighty  God  in  His  book. 
Read  these  words  yourself :  'Vengeance  is  Mine ;  I  will  repay, 
sayeth  the  Lord.'  " 

Turning  his  back  upon  Secretary  Stanton,  President  Lincoln 
walked  to  the  desk  of  an  ever-present  telegraph  operator,  wrote 
a  couple  of  lines  with  a  lead  pencil,  and  directed  the  sending  of 
the  telegram  to  the  officer  in  command  at  Fortress  Monroe,  order- 
ing: 

"Immediately  release  both  of  the  sons  of  Robert  E.  Lee  and 
send  them  back  to  their  father.  A.  Lincoln." 


122 


EVIDENTIARY   FACTS 


SEQUEL   FOR  THE  PERMANENT   HISTORY 

of 
AMERICAN   KNIGHTHOOD 


OFFICIAL  STATEMENTS 

STORY    OF    THE   TRAGEDY-DRAMA   TOLD    IN    THE 
CONGRESSIONAL  RECORD 

HERETOFORE  it  has  not  been  known  that  the  spirit  of  that 
boundless  Love  which  is  "wider,  deeper  than  the  sea;"  that 
the  world-wide,  humanity-absorbing  spirit  of  the  Man  of 
Galilee  had  come  into  the  campaigns  and  pervaded  "a  hundred 
circling  camps,"  by  night  and  by  day,  when  "the  morning  light  is 
breaking,"  as  well  as  "in  the  evening  dews  and  damps." 

That  spirit  came,  mellowed  the  hearts  of  men  in  the  midst  of 
civil  war;  came  when  Hatred  and  Slaughter  inflamed  the  minds 
of  men,  when  Rapine  and  Murder  stalked  our  prairies  and  trav- 
ersed our  mountains,  and  crimsoned  our  streams ;  came  when  this 
wonderful  country  where  all  "are  created  equal,"  was  devastated 
by  Thor,  the  God  of  Battles  and  of  Plunder. 

It  is  wonderful,  startling  because  miraculous,  that  the  spirit  of 
divine  unselfishness  should  have  come  to  leaven  the  lives  of  men 
in  the  land  which  was  seething  with  civil  strife.  Because  of  facts 
stranger  than  fiction  and  grander  than  even  the  imagination  of 
Milton  or  Goethe  could  depict,  we  do  not  need  to  doff  our  caps 
to  propaganda-ed  gallantry  nor  to  heralded  chivalry;  for  we  do 
rot  need  to  retrace  our  steps  to  the  "days  of  old  when  knights 
were  bold,  and  barons  held  their  sway." 

Our  American  heroes  do  not  clank  about  in  weighty  armor, 
bearing  silvered  nor  golden  shields.  The  chivalric  natures  of  the 
Round  Table  whose  knightly  deeds  have  haloed  and  aureoled 
story  and  romance  could  not  compare  with  the  almost  indescribable 
knight  errantry,  the  heart-to-heart  majesty  of  our  American 
Damon  and  Pythias. 

123 


The  soldier  boys  of  America,  tens  of  thousands  of  them  clad  in 
garments  of  butternut  or  gray,  and  hundreds  of  thousands  of  them 
clad  in  uniforms  of  blue,  followed  Grant  and  Lee  almost  two 
generations  ago.  It  was  during  that  frightful  nightmare  of 
American  history  that  the  spirit  of  the  Nazarene  appeared. 

For  the  glory  of  American  manhood  and  for  the  honor  of  the 
womanhood  of  our  country,  this  story  should  be  known  in  every 
home. 

When  Pythias  returned  in  time  to  save  the  life  of  his  faithful, 
trusting,  self-sacrificing  friend,  the  Tyrant  of  Syracuse  was 
startled  with  the  manifestation  of  friendship;  the  story  before  his 
eyes  of  unselfish  devotion. 

That  Tyrant  knew  as  all  men  know  the  fact  of  today,  yesterday 
and  all  of  the  ages,  that  man  builds  his  world  on  self  alone,  from 
lurrent  to  foundation  stone.  Unselfishness,  genuine  brotherly  love, 
might  be  cultivated  in  flights  of  imagination,  by  poets  and  ro- 
mancers, but  real  unselfishness,  involving  life  or  death,  startled 
the  Tyrant,  so  that  he  desired  a  partnership  in  that  little  cosmos 
of  unselfishness. 

Likewise  was  the  world  startled,  when  there  came  One  out  of 
Nazareth,  from  the  Manger  of  Bethlehem,  teaching  that  larger 
lesson  of  self-sacrifice:  "All  that  a  man  hath  will  he  give  for 
his  life,"  and  the  corollary :  "Greater  love  than  this,  hath  no  man  ;" 
the  Son  of  Man,  who 

"Took  the  Harp  of  Life,  and  struck  on  all  the  chords  with  might, 
Struck  the  Chord  of   SELF,  that,  trembling,  passed   in  music 
out  of  sight." 

That  the  spirit  of  Damon  and  Pythias,  that  the  wider,  deeper, 
world-wide,  humanity-absorbing  spirit  of  the  Nazarene  had  mel- 
iowed  the  hearts  of  Americans,  has  not  been  known  heretofore. 
The  fact  is  the  more  wonderful,  yes  seemingly  miraculous,  because 
this  Republic  in  which  "all  men  are  created  equal"  was  seething 
with  internecine  strife  and  almost  destroyed  by  a  war,  when  this 
history  was  made. 

Modesty,  in  the  form  of  a  sublime  manifestation  of  family 
pride,  impelled  the  brother  and  induced  the  immediate  descendants 
to  reticence.  Thus  it  occurred  that  this  history,  so  long  sub- 
Merged,  might  have  been  lost  to  the  world,  but  for  an  unexpected 
circumstance.  The  divine  facts  were  modestly  mingling  with 
the  Lares  and  Penates  of  the  family.  Known  they  were,  it  is  true, 
to  a  small  circle  of  friends  and  worshipful  neighbors. 

Thrilling  as  the  story  is.  it  is  soul-inspiring  because  it  is  true. 
It  is  ennobling  for  mankind.  Disposed  as  we  are  to  doff  our  caps 
to  gallantry  and  to  chivalry,  we  do  not  need  to  go  back  to  "the 
days  of  old  when  knights  were  bold,  and  barons  held  their  sway." 

124 


The  knight  errantry  of  our  own  time  and  of  our  own  people 
challenges  admiration  and  devoted  recognition. 

In  days  long  past  that  now  seem  almost  as  a  dream,  while 
reading  the  dry  but  valuable  pages  of  the  so-called  Rebellion 
Record,  an  investigating  individual  in  the  Library  of  Congress  at 
Washington  was  surprised  to  find  therein  the  words  "held  as  a 
hostage;"  and  to  observe  those  words  to  have  been  used  con- 
cerning one  of  the  soldiers  prominent  in  that  vast  conflict. 

Subsequently,  the  tendency  to  inquiry  by  the  investigator  led 
him  to  the  individuals  chiefly  concerned  in  the  incident,  and  from 
them  information  of  incalculable  historic  value  was  obtained. 
But  in  order  that  the  startling  facts  belonging  to  history  might 
be  given  their  proper  places,  it  became  necessary  to  dig  out  from 
their  submerged  places  the  evidentiary  facts.  The  ultimate  result 
has  been  the  historically  valuable  incidents  which  compel  recogni- 
tion as  the  long  sought,  everlasting  Great  American  Story. 

Those  words  "held  as  a  hostage"  aroused  lawyer-like  interest, 
a  desire  to  know  for  whom  and  for  what  any  soldier  had  been 
thus  held  in  this  country  of  ours.  Diligent  search  next  disclosed 
the  following  statement  made  by  Congressman  Elisha  E.  Mere- 
dith of  Virginia,  who  said: 

"In  the  terrible  fight  at  Brandy  Station,  June  10,  1863,  Rooney 
Lee  was  most  severely  wounded,  and  was  taken  to  the  residence 
of  General  W.  C.  Wickham,  a  relative  of  his  wife,  where  he  was 
made  prisoner  by  a  raiding  party  (sent  for  the  purpose)  and  car- 
ried off,  at  great  suffering,  to  Fortress  Monroe.  From  the  latter 
place  he  was  conveyed  to  Fort  Lafayette,  where  he  was  treated 
with  great  severity,  being  held,  with  Captain  R.  H.  Taylor, 
UNDER  SENTENCE  OF  DEATH,  as  hostages  for  two  Fed- 
eral officers  who  were  prisoners  in  Richmond,  whom  it  was  thought 
would  be  executed  for  some  retaliatory  measure.  Yet,  almost 
his  first  act,  on  reaching  Richmond,  was  to  go  to  Libby  Prison 
and  visit  the  two  Federal  officers  for  whom  he  had  been  held  as 
hostage." 

Nothing  in  the  history  of  warfare  amongst  men  of  modern 
times  could  have  been  more  brutal.  General  Burnside  (as  exten- 
sive reading  reveals)  had  executed  two  alleged  Confederate  spies 
in  East  Tennessee.  In  retaliation  the  authorities  at  Richmond  had 
selected,  by  lot,  two  Federal  officers  for  similar  execution.  Then 
the  authorities  at  Washington  had  selected  General  W.  H.  F.  Lee 
("Rooney")  and  a  Confederate  Captain  Taylor  for  hanging,  in 
further  retaliation. 

Nothing  could  have  been  more  heart-breaking  to  General  Robert 
E.  Lee  than  to  have  had  death  impending  thus  over  his  second  son. 
and  at  a  time  when  the  young  man  was  desperately  wounded  and 
suffering  from  that  wound.  Moreover,  those  tragedies  of  the 

125 


war  were  being  enacted  in  the  mind  and  heart  of  General  Robert 
E.  Lee  while  he  was  planning  and  directing  the  Gettysburg  cam- 
paign. Surely  no  persons  then  living  could  have  had  a  better  com- 
prehension and  appreciation  of  General  Sherman's  definition  of 
war  than  the  father  of  the  wounded  man,  General  Robert  E.  Lee ; 
than  the  brother,  George  W.  Custis  Lee,  the  Damon  of  the  tragedy, 
who  offered  his  life  for  the  life  of  his  wounded  brother ;  nor  than 
the  suffering  prisoner,  "Rooney"  Lee,  wounded  and  under  sen- 
tence of  death  while  his  loved  ones  were  ill,  nigh  unto  death, 
and  dying. 

That  this  submerged  history  might  be  authentically  written, 
and  made  a  matter  of  accessible  record  now  and  for  all  time,  the 
official  Record  was  searched  carefully.  It  was  there  found  that 
the  long-time  famous  orator  and  statesman,  Senator  John  War- 
wick Daniel  of  Virginia,  himself  crippled  for  life  in  battle  for 
the  Confederacy,  had  said,  on  the  floor  of  the  United  States 
Senate : 

"W.  H.  F.  Lee  raised  a  company  of  cavalry  at  the  beginning 
of  the  war,  and  he  surrendered  as  a  Major  General  at  Appomatox. 
He  fought  his  way  to  that  rank.  He  suffered  all  of  war's  vicissi- 
tudes save  death.  He  was  wounded.  He  was  twice  a  prisoner. 
He  was  held  as  a  hostage,  in  solitary  confinement,  with  death 
impending.  Amongst  his  first  acts,  when  he  emerged  from  prison, 
was  to  visit  and  shake  hands  with  and  congratulate  the  Federal 
officers  for  whom  he  had  been  held  as  a  hostage." 

But  how  did  he  escape  death?  Why  was  he  not  executed? 
These  pertinent  and  all-important  questions  naturally  arose,  de- 
manded and  required  an  answer,  explanatory  and  complete. 

In  a  public  address  delivered  by  Congressman  Joseph  E.  Wash- 
ington of  Tennessee  we  see  the  first  glimmer  of  light.  Mr.  Wash- 
ington said: 

"The  saddest  chapter  in  his  life  was  when — a  prisoner  of  war 
at  Fort  Monroe,  lying  dangerously  wounded,  and  with  a  retaliatory 
death  sentence  suspended  over  his  head,  and  in  the  hourly  expecta- 
tion of  execution — he  heard  of  the  fatal  illness  of  his  wife  and 
two  children,  but  a  few  miles  away.  Earnestly  his  friends  begged 
that  he  might  be  allowed  to  go  and  say  a  last  farewell  to  them. 

"A  devoted  brother  came,  like  Damon  of  old,  and  OFFERED 
HIMSELF,  TO  DIE  IN  ROONEY'S  PLACE." 

"War,  inexorable  war,  always  stern  and  cruel,  could  not  accept 
the  substituted  sacrifice ;  and,  while  the  sick  and  wounded  soldier, 
under  sentence  of  death,  and  himself  almost  dying,  lay  in  the 
dungeon  of  the  fort,  his  wife  and  children  passed  over  'to  rest 
under  the  trees,'  and  wait  for  his  coming." 

Physical  torture  and  mental  torment,  weeks  of  apprehension 
and  months  of  anguish,  left  their  scars  on  heart  and  brain.  They 

126 


wore  away  the  strength  and  virility  of  the  giant  stature.  Those 
indescribable  horrors  of  war  ultimately  caused  the  premature 
death  of  the  well  loved  and  greatly  esteemed  "Rooney"  Lee. 

His  son,  answering  an  inquiry,  has  written  to  the  historian  of 
that  epoch,  saying  : 

"As  to  how  General  W.  H.  F.  Lee  got  the  nickname  of  'Rooney' 
presents  another  difficulty.  There  is  nothing  harder  to  get  than 
the  truth.  I  can't  recall  my  father  ever  telling  me  how  he  came 
by  the  name.  But,  it  is  a  tradition  of  my  childhood,  from  my 
earliest  recollection,  that  there  was  an  Irish  servant  employed  by 
General  R.  E.  Lee — possibly  as  a  groom  or  in  some  other  capacity 
— by  the  name  of  Patrick  O'Rooney,  whom,  as  a  small  'boy,  .Gen- 
eral W.  H.  F.  Lee  resembled.  And,  as  General  R.  E.  Lee  was 
very  fond  of  nicknames,  having  one  for  every  child,  and  to  dis- 
tinguish W.  H.  Fitzhugh,  from  his  cousin,  Fitzhugh  Lee,  who  was 
a  few  years  his  senior,  my  grand-father  called  him  'Rooney.' 
which  name  stuck  to  him  to  the  day  he  died. 

"I  related  practically  the  above  to  my  uncle,  General  G.  W.  C. 
Lee,  in  the  sick  room  where  he  was  flat  on  his  back  for  fourteen 
months.  He  was  then  quite  nervous  from  his  long  illness,  from 
which  he  never  recovered.  He  said,  with  a  good  deal  of  impa- 
tience, that  that  was  not  true ;  that  the  name  was  gotten  from  the 
hero  of  some  book,  popular  at  the  time.  He  named  the  character 
and  the  book,  a  novel,  I  think,  but  unfortunately  I  have  forgotten 
both.  This  much  is  to  be  said :  General  G.  W.  C.  Lee  never  took 
any  stock  in  accepted  legends  of  history.  He  generally  had  a  con- 
trary version.  So,  realizing  that  fact,  I  am  very  much  at  sea  in 
the  matter.  Either  derivation  is  possible.  Yours  very  sincerely. 

"R.  E.  LEE/' 

Diligently  and  carefully  seeking  further  information  concerning 
this  remarkable  family  history — submerged  history  of  a  family 
whose  individuals  belong  to  America  and  to  Americans — discovery 
was  made  of  an  address  delivered  in  the  House  of  Representatives 
at  Washington,  under  the  dome  of  the  Capitol,  by  the  some  time 
famous  Congressman  George  D.  Wise  of  Virginia,  who  said: 

"In  this  engagement  the  brave  Georgian,  General  Pierce  M.  B. 
Young,  formerly  a  Member  of  this  House,  by  a  splendid  charge 
with  sa'bers,  without  pistol  or  carbine,  repulsed  a  dangerous  and 
gallant  assault  on  the  rear,  while  General  W.  H.  F.  Lee,  with  equal 
courage  and  dash,  protected  the  left  of  the  Confederate  position. 

"In  this  encounter  General  Lee  received  a  severe  wound  which 
necessitated  his  retirement  from  the  field.  He  was  carried  to 
Hickory  Hill,  in  Hanover  County,  to  the  home  of  General  Wick- 
ham,  a  near  relative  of  his  wife,  and  here  he  was  captured  and 
placed  in  solitary  confinement  at  Fortress  Monroe,  as  a  hostage 
for  certain  officers  of  the  United  States,  being  held  under  sentence 

127 


of  death  in  Libby  Prison,  in  retaliation  for  the  execution  of  cer- 
tain Confederate  officers  in  the  West. 

"General  Custis  Lee,  being  then  a  young,  unmarried  man,  and 
on  the  staff  of  the  Conferedate  President,  met,  under  a  special 
flag  of  truce,  representatives  of  the  Government  at  Washington, 
and  begged  to  be  permitted  to  take  the  place  of  General  W .  H.  F. 
Lee,  giving  as  his  reason  for  the  proposed  exchange  his  desire  to 
save  from  punishment  the  innocent  wife  and  children  of  his 
wounded  brother.  The  offer  was  declined,  and  he  was  told  that 
the  burdens  of  war  must  fall  where  chance  or  fortune' placed  them. 

"In  this  incident  we  Have  a  beautiful  and  touching  illustration 
of  the  strength  and  warmth  of  brotherly  love,  and  of  the  knightly 
bearing  of  the  Lees  of  Virginia. 

"While  thus  detained  as  a  prisoner  of  war,  racked  with  physi- 
cal sufferings,  and  those  mental  tortures  which  a  sensitive  man 
must  feel,  under  such  circumstances,  there  came  tidings  of  the 
death  of  his  loved  wife,  and  two  children." 

They  were  dying  of  grief  and  apprehension.  They  were  vic- 
tims of  the  merciless  madness  of  war.  It  was  to  save  the  life  of 
his  brother,  and  also  to  prolong  the  lives  of  his  loved  one,  that 
George  Washington  Custis  Lee,  as  Congressman  Washington 
stated  the  case,  "a  devoted  brother,  came  like  Damon  of  old,  and 
OFFERED  HIMSELF  TO  DIE  IN  ROONEY'S  PLACE." 

Interested — yes,  thrilled  with  admiration,  and  with  racial  pride 
in  such  American  valor  and  soldierly  glory — the  historian  sought 
further  evidence.  That  other  Americans  might  know  this  won- 
derful story  of  the  greater  than  Damon  and  Pythias  in  America, 
the  investigator  sought  and  examined  all  means  of  information 
available  in  the  limitless  Library  of  Congress ;  reading  and  copying 
letters  written  at  the  time,  and  orders  officially  issued  concerning 
the  case.  This  has  been  deemed  of  unusual  importance,  so  that 
there  may  be  no  dou'bt  in  the  future  concerning  this  tragedy  of 
civil  war,  this  true  story  of  human  interest:  this  evidentiary  fact 
of  the  truth  that  "Greater  love  hath  no,  man,  than  this !" 

The  battle  of  Brandy  Station  was  fought  on  June  10,  1863.  On 
the  following  day,  under  date  of  June  11,  1863,  General  Robert 
E.  Lee,  in  his  tent  at  Confederate  headquarters,  wrote  to  his  wife 
as  follows: 

"When  I  last  wrote  I  did  not  suppose  that  Fitzhugh  would  so 
soon  be  sent  to  the  rear,  disabled.  Yet,  I  hope  that  it  will  be  but 
for  a  short  time.  I  saw  him  on  the  night  after  the  battle.  Indeed, 
/  met  him  on  the  field  as  they  were  bringing  him  from  the  front. 
He  is  young  and  healthy,  and  I  trust  will  soon  be  up  again.  He 
seemed  to  be  more  concerned  about  his  brave  men  and  officers 
who  had  fallen  in  the  battle  than  about  himself." 

128 


Under  the  same  date,  in  his  tent,  General  Robert  E.  Lee  wrote 
to  the  wife  of  his  wounded  son,  saying:  "1  am  so  grieved,  my 
dear  daughter,  at  sending  Fitzhugh  to  you,  wounded.  But  I  am 
so  grateful  that  his  wound  is  of  a  character  to  give  us  full  hope 
of  his  recovery.  With  his  youth  and  strength  to  aid  him,  and 
your  tender  care  to  nurse  him,  I  trust  that  he  will  soon  be  well 
again.  I  shall  look  to  you  to  cure  him  very  soon  and  send  him 
back  to  me." 

Under  date  of  June  13,  1863,  General  J.  E.  B.  Stuart,  Com- 
mander of  the  Cavalry  Corps  of  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia, 
officially  reported:  "Brigadier  General  W.  H.  F.  Lee's  brigade 
was  handled  in  a  handsome  and  satisfactory  manner  by  that  gal- 
lant officer,  who  received  a  severe  wound  through  the  leg  in  one 
of  the  last  brilliant  charges  of  his  command,  on  the  heights." 

Major  H.  B.  McClellan,  Chief  of  Staff  to  General  Stuart,  un- 
der the  same  date,  reports:  "When  the  Ninth  Virginia  first 
charged  up  the  hill,  General  W.  H.  F.  Lee  was  on  its  left  flank, 
encouraging  the  men  of  his  old  regiment.  Just  before  he  reached 
the  crest  of  the  hill  he  was  severely  wounded  and  carried  from 
the  field." 

Colonel  John  R.  Chambless  reported  to  General  Stuart :  "About 
4:30  p.  m.,  General  W.  H.  F.  Lee  was  wounded,  and  I  assumed 
command. " 

"Headquarters.  7th  Army  Corps,  White  House, 

June  28,  1863. 

"General  Halleck,  Washington :  General  W.  H.  F.  Lee  was 
found  at  his  house,  not  recovered  from  his  wound,  but  he  was 
placed  in  an  easy  carriage  and  brought  in.  I  had  him  examined 
by  my  Medical  Director,  and  on  his  report  have  directed  him 
to  be  sent  to  Chesapeake  Hospital.  Colonel  Spear  (llth  Penn- 
sylvania Cavalry)  was  satisfied  that  he  could  be  brought  in  with- 
out danger  or  inconvenience  to  him,  and  my  Medical  Director 
thinks  that  he  will  not  be  injured  by  the  movement.  He  had  a 
flesh  wound  in  the  thigh,  the  ball  having  gone  entirely  through  it. 

"JOHN  A.  Dix." 

Under  date  of  Fortress  Monroe,  July  1,  1863,  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Wm.  H.  Ludlow  reported :  "Brigadier  General  W.  H.  F. 
Lee  is  wounded  and  in  hospital  here,  on  the  certificate  of  the  medi- 
cal director  that  he  required  hospital  treatment.  General  Lee 
has  given  his  parole  to  confine  himself  to  the  hospital  and  to  make 
no  attempt  to  escape.  As  soon  as  he  can  be  moved,  he  will  be  sent 
to  Fort  Delaware,  as  we  have  no  place  of  confinement  here.  His 
retention  settles  the  question  of  hanging  our  officers." 

129 


Writing  from  "Headquarters,  Department  of  Virginia,  July  12, 
1863,"  Lieutenant-Colonel  Ludlow  addressed  Colonel  J.  C.  Kel- 
ton,  A.  A.  G.,  as  follows:  "I  am  informed  that  Captain  H.  W. 
Sawyer,  First  New  Jersey  Cavalry,  and  Captain  John  M.  Flinn, 
Fifty-first  Regiment,  Indiana  Volunteers,  have  been  selected  by 
lot  for  execution,  in  retaliation  for  the  execution  of  Captains  Cor- 
bin  and  McGraw,  as  spies,  by  order  of  General  Burnside.  /  re- 
spectfully and  earnestly  recommend  that  two  Confederate  officers, 
now  in  our  hands,  be  immediately  selected  for  execution,  in  re- 
taliation for  the  threatened  execution  of  Sawyer  and  Flynn." 

The  reply  to  the  above  recommendation  was  a  telegram,  follow- 
ing: 

"Washington,  July  15,  1863. 

"Col.  Ludlow:  The  President  directs  that  you  IMMEDI- 
ATELY PLACE  GENERAL  W.  H.  F.  LEE,  and  anther  officer 
selected  by  you,  not  under  the  rank  of  Captain,  prisoners  of  war, 
IN  CLOSE  CONFINEMENT,  and  that  you  notify  the  Confed- 
erate agent  for  exchange  of  prisoners  of  war  that  if  Captain  H. 
W.  Sawyer,  First  New  Jersey  Cavalry,  and  Captain  John  M. 
Flinn,  Fifty-first  Indiana  Volunteers,  or  any  other  officers  or  men 
in  the  service  of  the  United  States,  not  guilty  of  any  crime  pun- 
ishable with  death  by  the  laws  of  war,  shall  be  executed  by  the 
enemy,  the  afore-mentioned  prisoners  SHALL  BE  IMMEDI- 
ATELY HUNG,  in  retaliation. 

"It  is  also  directed  that  immediately  upon  receiving  official  or 
other  authentic  information  of  the  execution  of  Captain  Sawyer 
and  Captain  Flinn,  YOU  WILL  PROCEED  TO  HANG  GEN- 
ERAL LEE,  and  the  other  rebel  officer  designated. 

"H.  W.  HALLECK,  Chief  of  Staff." 

Under  date  o»f  December  15,  1863,  Major  General  John  A.  Dix 
reported  to  General  Halleck,  at  Washington:  "General  Fitz- 
hugh  Lee  (W.  H.  F.),  son  of  the  rebel  general-in-chief,  is  now 
in  confinement,  at  Fort  Lafayette,  as  hostage. 

After  the  conclusion  of  the  Gettysburg  campaign,  when  he  knew 
that  the  life  of  his  son  was  in  constant  danger,  General  Robert  E. 
Lee  wrote  a  kindly  and  encouraging  letter  to  the  wife  of  his  son, 
under  date  of  July  26,  1863,  thus: 

"I  am  glad,  my  darling  daughter,  that  you  accompanied  your 
mother.  I  hope  that  the  water  and  the  mountain  air  will  invig- 
orate you,  and  make  you  well.  You  must  not  be  sick  while  Fitz- 
hugh  is  away,  or  he  will  be  the  more  restless  in  his  separation. 
Get  strong  and  healthy  by  his  return,  that  he  may  the  more  rejoice 
at  sight  of  you.  I  can  appreciate  your  distress  at  Fitzhugh's  situ- 
ation. I  deeply  sympathize  with  it.  In  the  lone  hours  of  the 
night  I  GROAN  IN  SORROW  at  his  captivity  and  separation 

130 


from  you.  His  wound,  I  understand,  has  not  'been  injured  by 
his  removal,  but  is  doing  well.  Nothing  could  do  him  more  harm 
than  to>  learn  that  you  are  sick  and  sad." 

Thus,  the  endangered  captive  was  kept  in  ignorance  of  the  fail- 
ing health  of  his  wife,  and  the  invalid  wife  was  taken  to  the  moun- 
tains of  Virginia,  not  alone  for  the  benefit  of  her  health,  but  that 
she  might  be  far  removed  from  all  sources  of  news  or  informa- 
tion concerning  the  war ;  for  the  death  c\f  her  husband,  by  hang- 
ing, was  almost  a  certainty  to  be. 

Nevertheless,  the  news  of  his  transfer  to  the  New  York  Nar- 
rows, and  solitary  confinement  at  Fort  Lafayette,  4id  reach  her, 
and  it  hastened  her  death.  The  failure  of  her  vitality,  and  the 
loss  of  her  maternal  care  resulted  also  in  the  death  of  her  two 
little  ones.  In  the  following  March  of  1864,  when  "Rooney"  was 
finally  exchanged  and  able  to  return  to  his  home  in  Virginia,  that 
home  was  empty,  desolate,  the  historic  residence  destroyed,  his 
acres  devasted,  his  wife  and  children  gone,  forever. 

To  the  returned  soldier  son,  hopeless  and  in  dire  distress,  Gen- 
eral Robert  E.  Lee,  sitting  on  a  camp  stool  in  his  tent  at  night, 
wrote :  "Camp,  Orange  County,  April  24,  1864.  I  received  last 
night,  my  dear  son,  your  letter  of  the  22nd.  God  knows  how  I 
loved  your  dear,  dear  wife,  how  sweet  her  memory  is  to  me,  and 
how  I  mourn  her  loss.  My  grief  could  not  be  greater  if  you  had 
been  taken  from  me.  You  were  both  equally  dear  to  me.  May 
God,  in  His  mercy,  enable  us  to  join  her  in  eternal  praise  of  our 
Lord  and  Saviour.  My  whole  trust  is  in  God ;  and  I  am  ready  for 
whatever  He  may  ordain." 

In  letters  written  at  the  time,  and  lost  in  the  fiml  upheaval,  the 
Confederate  military  chieftain  often  expressed  his  thanks  to  God 
for  having  spared  the  life  of  his  son ;  so  that  his  grief  over  the 
loss  of  his  dearly  beloved  daughter-in-law  and  the  grand-children 
was  partly  assuaged  by  his  gratitude  to  Heaven,  that,  in  the  midst 
of  war,  and  out  of  the  jaws  of  death,  his  son  "Roqney"  had  been 
spared  to  him. 

George  Washington  Custis  Lee,  even  in  childhood,  was  im- 
bued with  an  affectionate,  careful,  self -constituted  guardianship 
for  his  "little  brother."  That  sense  of  affectionate  supervision 
developed  with  the  passing  of  the  days  and  the  years.  Thus,  when 
the  life  of  "Rooney"  was  in  danger,  and  at  a  time  when  their 
venerated  father  was  overshadowed  with  years  and  grave  re- 
sponsibilities, the  elder  brother  did  not  hesitate,  but  went  forward 
courageously  in  the  performance  of  that  which  seemed  to  him  to 
be  his  plain  duty:  to  offer  his  life  that  his  brother  might  live. 

Nowhere  has  there  ever  been  demonstrated  better  evidence  of 
the  truth  of  the  saying  that  "the  bravest  are  the  tenderest;  the 
loving  are  the  daring." 

131 


Son  of  a  soldier,  scion  of  soldiers  and  statesmen,  the  boyhood 
of  Custis  Lee  was  shaded,  if  not  shadowed,  by  the  premature 
manhood  which  dawned  upon  his  mind  as  soon  as  he  was  suf- 
ficiently mature  to  realize  that  he, bore  the  name  of  a  family  of 
distinction;  that  southern  chivalry  confidently  expected  him  to 
bear  well  and  with  honor  the  name  of  Lee;  and  to  that  responsi- 
bility had  been  added,  at  his  christening,  the  duty  and  distinction 
of  bearing  in  purity  the  name  of  that  great  American  whom  an- 
other Lee  had  declared  to  'be  "first  in  war,  first  in  peace,  and  first 
in  the  hearts  of  his  countrymen." 

This  man  of  mighty  will  and  courtly  courage  quite  naturally 
sought  the  life  of  "the  tented  field."  He  became  a  student  of 
military  affairs.  Born  at  the  military  post  of  Fortress  Monroe, 
September  16,  1832,  he  lived  in  the  army  until  he  was  18  years 
of  age,  and  then  entered  the  Academy.  When  he  was  graduated 
in  1854,  he  was  at  the  head  of  his  class,  and  was  nearing  his 
twenty-second  birthday. 

The  young  lieutenant  was  immediately  given  charge  of  the  most 
important  engineering  work  of  the  War  Department — first  in 
Florida,  and  then  in  California.  Because  of  his  superior  abilities 
and  acquirements  he  was  ordered  to  duty  in  Washington,  and  he 
was  well  on  the  way  to  the  position  of  Chief  of  Engineers,  when 
the  long  lowering  clouds  burst  and  broke  over  this  Republic,  in 
that  whirlwind,  hurricane-storm  oi  civil  war. 

The  doctrine  of  "State  sovereignty"  (too  commonly  and  care- 
lessly spoken  of  as  "States  rights")  was  taught  at  West  Point. 
There,  as  a  Cadet,  Robert  E.  Lee  learned  the  doctrine  of  the 
superior  individual  sovereignty  of  each  State  in  the  Confederacy 
known  as  the  United  States.  And  there  the  hero  son,  Custis  Lee, 
also  learned  and  believed  in  that  doctrine.  Quite  naturally,  fol- 
lowing the  line  of  those  undisputed  instructions,  and  also  follow- 
ing the  example  of  his  soldier-father,  for  whom  he  entertained  an 
almost  idolatrous  affection,  George  Washington  Custis  Lee  ful- 
filled his  plain  duty  by  following  the  sovereign  State  of  Virginia 
into  that  confederacy  of  sovereignties,  which  was  established  in 
the  year  1861. 

His  younger  brother  had  always  aspired  to  enter  upon  a  career 
as  a  soldier.  But  the  necessary  political  influence  to  secure  his 
designation  to  West  Point  was  not  within  the  reach  of  his  father; 
and  so  the  younger  son,  "Rooney,"  was  sent  to  Harvard  College 
in  1854 ;  the  year  of  the  graduation  of  Custis  from  West  Point. 

His  standing  there  was  creditable,  and  he  took  front  rank  in 
his  classes.  His  name  and  lineage  carried  him  into  the  best  of 
Bostonian  society.  Physically  favored  by  nature,  he  was  soon 
one  of  the  leaders  in  collegiate  athletic  affairs.  But,  with  all  of 
the  allurements  and  environments  which  should  produce  content- 

13? 


ment  and  happiness,  the  military  bias  of  his  mind  predominated. 
He  longed  for  life  in  the  army,  in  the  field  where  his  father  had 
achieved  distinction  and  where  his  brother  was  forging  to  the 
front  of  leadership.  And  Custis  secured  a  commission  for  him. 

But  in  one  particular  matter  Custis  so  loved  his  brother  that 
"Rooney"  never  knew,  nor  even  suspected  that  the  very  heart  of 
Custis  was  made  to  bleed  for  his  happiness. 

"Greater  love  than  this  hath  no  man,"  that  he  will  alter  the 
whole  course  of  his  life  for  another;  and  Custis  did  that  for  his 
so  well-beloved  younger  brother.  Therein,  indeed,  lies  concealed 
a  part  of  his  devotion  in  the  war-time  episode. 

Custis  Lee,  the  true  hero  born  and  bred,  the  Damon  of  this  nar- 
ration of  real  life,  this  epitome  of  facts  of  human  interest,  re- 
mained a  bachelor  during  the  remainder  of  his  long  life  of  more 
than  eighty  years.  Finally,  George  Washington  Custis  Lee,  over- 
powered by  the  weight  of  years,  laid  down  to  rest  at  Ravens  worth, 
Virginia,  and  for  more  than  a  year  and  a  half  was  a  helpless  in- 
valid, tenderly  cared  for  by  the  children  of  his  beloved  little 
brother,  "Rooney,"  for  whom  "like  Damon  of  old,  HE  OF- 
FERED HIMSELF,  TO  DIE  IN  ROONEY'S  PLACE." 

And  there,  full  of  years  and  of  honor,  comprehended,  appre- 
ciated and  venerated  by  all  of  the  people  of  the  great  State  which 
he  had  so  well  served;  and  almost  worshipped  by  the  children 
of  the  deceased  brother,  "Rooney,"  he  was  gathered  unto  his 
fathers  on  February  ]8,  1913;  and  his  monument  has  not  been 
erected.  It  should  not  be,  until  all  of  the  people  of  this  great 
nation  shall  have  learned  the  story  of  his  Christ-like  life. 

When  Custis  Lee  resigned  from  the  old  army,  he  proceeded  to 
Richmond  and  there  tendered  his  services  to  the  President  of  the 
Confederacy.  And  he,  Jefferson  Davis,  being  a  West  Point  man, 
L  veteran  of  the  War  with  Mexico,  and  well  acquainted  with  mili- 
tary men  and  military  affairs,  immediately  designated  Custis  Lee 
for  the  supervision  of  the  most  important  work  then  in  hand : 
the  defense  of  Richmond. 

It  was  he  who  located,  designed,  and  superintended  the  con- 
struction of  the  fortifications  of  all  of  the  approaches  to  Rich- 
mond. So  well  was  that  work  done  that  those  defenses  were  ab- 
solutely impregnable. 

President  Davis  required  Custis  Lee  to  remain  in  Richmond 
as  Aide-de-camp  to  the  President,  and  in  that  capacity  he  was 
the  principal  military  adviser  of  the  President,  notably  of  daily 
service  invaluable  at-  the  time.  So  highly  was  he  esteemed  that, 
during  the  year  1864,  when  the  Confederacy  was  gradually 
crumbling,  it  was  suggested  that  the  loss  of  the  services  of  Gen- 
eral Robert  E.  Lee,  by  wounding,  disease,  or  death  might  complete 

133 


the  accumulating  disasters,  and  President  Davis  replied  in  sub- 
stantially these  words : 

"Great  as  would  be  our  loss,  it  would  not  be  wholly  irreparable, 
for  I  should  immediately  designate  Custis  Lee  for  the  chief  com- 
mand. He  is  thoroughly  competent." 

When  the  curtain  of  time  had  fallen  upon  the  last  scene  of  the 
last  act  of  the  tremendous  tragedy  of  Civil  War  in  this  country, 
Custis  Lee  became  Professor  of  Civil  and  Military  Engineering 
at  the  Virginia  Military  Institute;  and  he  made  of  it  what  it  is 
today,  a  Military  Academy,  in  discipline  and  curriculum,  the 
equal  of  the  Academy  at  West  Point. 

In  the  year  1871  he  succeeded  his  famous  father,  then  recently 
•deceased,  as  President  of  Washington  and  Lee  University;  and 
he  was  President  Emeritus  of  that  educational  institution  when 
he  reached  the  end  of  the  journey  of  life  and  passed  through  the 
pearly  gates  of  that  beautiful  city  of  many  mansions,  concerning 
which  "the  half  has  never  been  told." 

Concerning  the  public  utterances  of  statesmen  which  have 
been  quoted,  it  must  be  comprehended  that  Custis  Lee  was  living 
at  the  time.  He  uttered  no  word  of  protest  when  the  story  was 
told  that  "a  devoted  brother  came,  like  Damon  of  old,  voluntarily 
to  offer  his  life  for  his  brother." 

He  was  then  actively  performing  the  duties  of  President  of 
Washington  and  Lee  University;  and  was  one  of  the  foremost 
men  of  Virginia.  But  while  he  could  deprecate  the  narration  of 
the  story,  he  could  not  forbid  it.  No  eulogy  could  ever  be  pro- 
nounced over  his  bier,  without  the  telling  of  the  story  of  the 
sentence,  of  death,  that  in  a  certain  contingency  "YOU  SHALL 
IMMEDIATELY  HANG  GENERAL  LEE." 

It  is  known  to  the  writer,  that  his  long  time  personal  friend 
Senator  Daniel  of  Virginia,  his  hearty  friend  Congressman  Jo- 
seph E.  Washington  of  Tennessee,  and  his  acquaintance  Con- 
gressman George  D.  Wise  of  Virginia,  the  gentlemen  who  nar- 
rated the  story  of  these  events  in  the  Senate  and  in  the  House 
of  Representatives  of  the  American  Congress,  were  valued  friends 
of  and  welcome  visitors  to  George  Washington  Custis  Lee,  at  his 
home. 

In  narrating  his  deed  of  matchless  human  devotion  to  his  be- 
loved brother,  those  eminent  gentlemen  knew  whereof  they  spoke. 
Not  one  of  them  would  have  told  the  story  without  the  consent  of 
Custis  Lee,  however  reluctantly  it  might  have  been  given. 

That 'the  story  should  not  have  newspaper  exploitation  was 
another  matter.  It  has  been  held  as  a  sacred  part  of  the  history 
of  a  family  of  southern  gentlemen  and  southern  gentle  women. 
Custis  Lee,  the  born  soldier,  reticent  and  dignified,  forbade  pub- 
licity. Consequently,  so  long  as  he  lived  and  continued  to  forbid, 

134 


it  was  impossible  to  tell  to  our  people  the  true  story  of  his  in- 
comparable career. 

His  life  was  spared  full  fifty  years  after  that  wonderful  event ; 
and  during  all  of  those  years  Custis  Lee  dwelt  in  comparative 
obscurity,  deprecating  every  allusion  to  his  deed  of  marvelous 
self-sacrifice.  It  was  in  deference  to  his  wishes,  most  emphati- 
cally expressed,  that  the  sons  of  his  brother,  and  all  other  near 
relatives,  refrained  from  seeking  or  aiding  publicity  of  his  won- 
derfully affectionate  deed  of  nature's  noblest  nobility.  There- 
fore, now,  for  the  first  time,  without  offense  to  any  one  and  with- 
out repression  from  any  direction,  it  is  possible  to  publish  this 
story  of  a  life  of  marvelous  merit,  matchless  self-effacement, 
dignified  heroism,  and  brotherly  devotion,  unexampled. 

George  Washington  Custis  Lee,  in  the  fulness  of  time,  sleeps 
Ae  dreamless  sleep  of  divine  rest,  in  the  windowless  Palace  of 
Peace;  for  "God  giveth  his  beloved  sleep." 

George  Washington  Custis  Lee  has  joined  with  "Rooney"  and 
all  of  that  "cloud  of  witnesses"  of  human  affairs;  has  entered 
upon  that  condition  which  levels  all  distinctions,  and  lays  the 
shepherd's  crook  beside  the  sceptre.  And  thus,  "after  many 
days,"  we  may  all  know  the  inspirational  story  of  this  matchless 
flower  of  Knighthood  in  America. 


135 


ALL  ABOUT  ARLINGTON 
AND  THE  LEES 

On  Fame's  Eternal  Camping  Ground 
Their  silent  tents  are  spread. 

And  Glory  guards,  with  solemn  round 
The  bivouac  of  the  dead. 


ARLINGTON'S  STORY,  DRAMA,  TRAGEDY,  AND 

HISTORY 

Well  nigh  a  quarter  of  a  million  .Americans  of  all  ages,  from 
infants  in  arms  to  the  trembling  and  dying  veterans  of  the  Civil 
War,  visit  the  national  cemetery  at  Arlington  every  year  on 
Memorial  Day ;  that  one  day  of  every  year  when  throughout  this 
entire  republic  the  thoughts  of  the  people  are  directed  to  the 
sacrifices  which  have  been  made  by  the  youth  of  the  land  in  order 
that  "this  government  of  the  people,  by  the  people  and  for  the 
people  shall  not  fade  from  the  earth." 

One  of  the  grandest  and  most  glorious  truths  set  forth  in  the 
Book  of  Books,  and  one  of  the  many  which  are  not  known  to  every 
one  as  well  as  they  should  be  known,  is  in  these  words :  "It  is  bet- 
ier  to  go  into  the  house  of  mourning  than  into  the  house  of  mirth, 
for  the  heart  is  made  better  thereby."  And  so,  on  every  Memo- 
rial Day  the  hearts  of  all  of  our  people  are  made  better  by  this 
national  association  in  paying  universal  tribute  to  the  loved  and 
the  lost. 

Every  newspaper  in  the  land  publishes  an  account  of  the  pro- 
ceedings at  Arlington;  and  the  larger  papers  print  the  addresses 
of  the  President,  and  of  the  others  who  speak  on  that  occasion 
in  the  amphitheatre  on  the  spot  which  was  historic  long  before 
the  fatal  misunderstandings  which  separated  our  people  into  war- 
ring factions  for  a  time;  the  famous  home  of  the  grand-son  of 
Martha  Washington,  the  wonderful  man  who  was  worthy  of  his 
grand-mother,  and  also  worthy  of  the  guardian  who  adopted  him, 
who  loved  him  and  directed  his  life  into  lines  of  patriotic  en- 
deavor always.  To 

137 

• 


BEGIN   AT    THE    BEGINNING 

we  must  know  that  these  magnificent  hills  bordering  the  Potomac 
river  and  overlooking  the  national  capital  city,  were  originally  the 
most  valued  and  favorite  hunting  grounds  of  the  Powtowmack 
tribes  of  the  South,  and  also  of  the  Susquehannas  of  the  North. 
Upon  old  Observatory  Hill  in  Washington  where  the  Naval  Ob- 
servatory was  located  for  well  nigh  a  century,  early  settlers  dug 
out  of  the  ground  the  bones  of  the  Indians  of  those  tribes,  their 
weapons  of  war  alongside  of  them;  mute  but  unquestionable 
evidences  of  a  tremendous  battle  between  the  North  and  the 
South  in  the  remote  past.  And  so,  when  Arlington  was  selected 
as  the  site  of  the  National  Cemetery  the  white  men  were  making 
their  "bivouac  of  the  dead"  on  what  had  been  to  the  Indians 
"fame's  eternal  camping  ground." 

Hitherto  nobody  seems  to  have  taken  the  time,  and  the  time- 
consuming  trouble,  to  give  to  our  people  the  history  of  this  long- 
time famous  locality,  and  so  we  may  as  well  begin  with  the 

TITLE   OF   ARLINGTON 

including  the  realty  title  and  the  titular  name  which  is  nationally 
associated  with  the  place.  The  deep  laid  plans  and  ultimate  pur- 
poses of  the  white  men  were  not  revealed  for  well  nigh  three 
hundred  years  after  John  Smith  and  the  other  adventurers  and 
free  booters  established  their  settlements  on  Jamestown  Island 
and  along  the  eastern  coasts  of  the  new  world.  Not  only  in 
Mexico  but  at  every  point  the  surprised  and  startled  natives 
looked  upon  every  white  man  as  "a  fair  god,"  worthy  of  respect- 
ful kindness  and  even  of  worship.  That  the  original  inhabitants 
were  to  be  deprived  of  their  lands,  driven  towards  the  setting  sun, 
and  practically  annihilated  could  not  have  been  foretold  nor  even 
imagined  by  the  most  intelligent  of  those  copper  colored  people. 
It  was  not  until  the  Jamestown  Exposition,  in  1907,  that  the  open 
and  plain  declaration  was  made  by  the  distinguished  and  able 
Senator  John  Tyler  Morgan  of  Alabama:  "This  is  the  white 
man's  continent,  and  our  government  is  a  white  man's  govern- 
ment." 

In  the  books  of  Eternal  Justice  the  realty  title  to  Arlington 
Heights,  as  well  as  to  every  acre,  every  foot,  every  inch  and  every 
blade  of  grass,  all  and  in  all  belonged  and  belongs  to  the  original 
inhabitants,  their  heirs  and  assigns,  absolutely  in  fee  simple.  Their 
titles  to  their  homes  were  given  to  them  lavishly  and  lovingly  by 
the  same  Manitou  that  gave  to  them  their  copper  color  and. 
although  they  did  not  have  castles,  nor  palaces,  nor  fences,  nor 
surveyors  to  mark  their  metes  and  bounds,  like  the  first  followers 
of  the  Man  of  Galilee,  "they  had  all  things  in  common." 

138 


in  that  sense  they  were  the  children  and  the  disciples  of  the 
Nazarene,  and  the  white-skinned  marauders  and  murderers  were 
heathen;  more  benighted  than  the  so-called  heathen  by  "India's 
coral  strand." 

Avariciously  grasping  the  proprietorship  the  white-skinned 
savages  from  some  unknown  lands  came  and  took  possession  of 
every  parcel  of  land  which  they  desired  and  parceled  it  out  among 
themselves,  without  even  saying  inquiringly  or  courteously  "by 
your  leave." 

Thus  it  was  that  Governor  William  Berkeley  of  Virginia  gave 
an  estate  of  six  thousand  acres  (6,000)  to  Robert  Howsen  on 
October  21,  1669 ;  this  splendid  domain  being  thus  presented  as 
a  reward  for  some  public  service,  the  nature  of  which  is  not  a 
matter  of  permanent  record.  According  to  the  archives  of  that 
date  the  gift  estate  was  located  "along  the  Potomack  River,  south 
of  the  lower  rapids,  and  westward,  as  may  be  surveyed." 

And  so  by  the  ipse  dixit  and  the  autocratic  wave  of  the  white 
man's  hand  Robert  Howsen.  according  to  the  white  man's  laws, 
became  the  proprietor  of  all  that  is  now  Arlington  National  Ceme- 
tery, the  City  of  Alexandria,  and  the  Mount  Vernon  sacred  shrine 
where  lie  the  bodies  of  George  Washington  and  Martha,  his  wife, 
near  the  mansion  which  was  their  home ;  for  they  were  lovely  and 
pleasant  in  their  lives,  and  "in  their  deaths  they  were  not  divided." 

Robert  Howsen  regarded  that  regal  estate  as  of  little  immediate 
value,  as  you  must  realize  when  we  find  the  record  showing  that 
the  entire  estate  was  sold  to  John  Alexander  for  six  hogsheads  of 
tobacco.  Maybe  that  was  a  good  price  too,  because  in  those  days 
the  people  of  Europe  were  learning  to  smoke  tobacco.  The  craze 
for  the  enjoyable  weed  of  the  New  World  continued  to  spread, 
and  the  demand  for  tobacco  soon  made  that  product  the  equal  to 
and  the  equivalent  of  legal  tender  coin  in  all  business  transactions 
throughout  the  colonies  and  all  of  the  Western  Hemisphere. 

On  Christmas  Day,  1678,  at  the  conclusion  of  a  holiday  cele- 
bration, which  had  been  a  long-continued  session  of  feasting  and 
drinking,  Gerald  Alexander  conveyed  eleven  hundred  (1,100) 
acres  of  that  original  Howsen  estate  to  John  Parke  Custis,  the 
most  opulent  merchant  prince  in  America,  a  man  whose  cheque 
for  eleven  hundred  pounds  of  the  currency  of  Virginia  was  worth 
its  face  value,  and  eleven  hundred  (1,100)  pounds  of  the  colonial 
currency  was  fully  equal  to  eleven  hundred  pounds  sterling. 

Only  a  man  of  great  wealth  could  do  business  on  so  large  a 
scale  in  those  days.  And,  you  will  note  how  the  value  of  the 
property  had  increased  in  a  very  few  years.  It  was  on  a  Christ- 
mas Day  that  the  title  of  one  white  man  was  transferred  to 
another  white  man,  and  made  a  matter  of  record,  so  that  John 
Parke  Custis  became  the  owner  of  the  tract  since  known  as 

139 


I 

Arlington,  and  it  was  continued  in  the  property  wealth  of  the 
Custis  family  for  another  hundred  years,  the  last  male  heir  having 
been  George  Washington  Parke  Custis,  the  grand-son  that  George 
Washington  loved  and  tutored ;  and  to  his  daughter,  Mary  Ann 
Randolph  Custis  the  great  and  grand  estate  was  bequeathed.  She 
was  the  last  Custis  to  own  the  estate ;  and  when  it  was  recorded  in 
her  name  she  was  the  wife  of  Lieutenant  Colonel  Robert  E.  Lee, 
of  the  United  States  Army,  an  officer  destined  tg  achieve  distinc- 
tion in  the  tented  field. 


EARL  OF  ARLINGTON 

An  ancestor,  four  times  removed.  John  Custis,  possessed  an 
estate  in  Northampton  County,  Virginia,  which  he  named  "Arling- 
ton," in  honor  of  Henry,  then  Earl  of  Arlington,  to  whom,  with 
Lord  Culpeper,  King  Charles  II  made  a  grant  of  all  of  old  Vir- 
ginia. Over  the  grave  of  John  Custis  there  is  a  large  marble 
sarcophagus  on  which  is  inscribed  this  statement:  "He  kept  a 
bachelor's  home  at  Arlington,  on  the  Eastern  Shore  of  Virginia." 

That  sarcophagus  would  convey  the  impression  that  John  Custis 
had  always  been  a  bachelor ;  but  he  had  not.  The  truth  was  that 
he  had  kept  "a  widower's  home,"  instead  of  a  bachelor's  home, 
because  he  had  separated  from  his  wife.  Details  of  their  marital 
joys  and  sorrows  are  unavailing.  John  Custis  was  an  exceedingly 
wealthy  tobacco  merchant  in  that  day  and  generation,  and  also  an 
extensive  dealer  in  real  estate ;  and  his  descendant,  Daniel  Parke 
Custis  was  wealthy  and  prosperous  largely  because  of  the  wealth 
which  he  inherited.  But  he  was  a  good  business  man  also,  care- 
fully multiplying  all  of  the  wealth  that  had  been  his  father's,  and 
that  he  was  keen  enough  to  peer  far  into  the  decades  is  mani- 
fested by  his  acquisition  of  that  Howsen  estate  for  cash. 

Williamsburg  was  the  capital  city  of  the  Colony  of  Virginia, 
because  Governor  William  Gooch  made  that  little  village  his 
dwelling  place  and  home,  and  there,  from  time  to  time,  were 
assembled  all  of  the  wealth  and  beauty  of  that  part  of  the  New 
World,  particularly  in  the  winter  times  when  the  snow  and  ice 
halted  agriculture  and  all  of  the  business  that  depended  upon  the 
tilling  of  the  soil. 

Martha  Dandridere  was  the  belle  of  belles,  practically  Queen  of 
the  May  all  the  year  'round ;  and  of  lovers  there  were  manv  who 
sought  her  heart  and  hand.  P>ut.  woman-like,  she  looked  with 
favor  on  the  handsome  and  care-free  young  roysterer:  and  so, 
in  Tune.  1749.  Martha  Dandridge  became  the  wife  of  Daniel 
Par^e  Custis. 

Weddiner  presents  were  numerous  and  from  every  point  of  the 
compass,  but  the  most  notable  wedding  present  was  the  since 

140 


famous  "White  House  Farm,"  on  the  Pamunkey  River,  given  to 
young  Custis  by  his  rich  and  proud  father.  And  there  they  dwelt 
in  prosperity  and  happiness  for  a  few  years  only,  for  in  175? 
Daniel  Parke  Custis  died,  leaving  to  his  widow  an  estate  exceeding 
in  value  one  hundred  thousand  dollars ;  and  after  only  eight  years 
of  married  life  Martha  Dandridge  had  become  a  wealthy  widow, 
a  very  wealthy  widow,  for  that  was  an  immense  fortune  in  those 
days. 

Martha  Dandridge  had  been  a  popular  belle  in  Williamsburg, 
but  Martha  Custis,  with  an  abundance  of  lucre,  was  the  most 
popular  belle  in  America,  and  lovers  came  a-courting  almost  in 
phalanxes.  But  the  Widow  Custis  was  wise  and  prudent,  and 
patient,  awaiting  the  Prince  Charming,  because  she  could  be  the 
arbiter  of  her  own  fate  now,  the  captain  of  her  soul.  She  had 
two  children,  and  wisely  she  considered  the  future  of  those  little 
ones  as  well  as  her  own  future.  And  within  two  years  her  Prince 
Charming  came,  a  young  soldier,  caparisoned  and  mounted  for 
conquests  ;  and  he  conquested  the  heart  of  Martha  Dandridge  com- 
pletely. They  were  married  on  January  6,  1759,  and  Martha 
Dandridge  Custis  was  proud  of  her  handsome  husband,  for  he 
was  brilliant,  capable  and  popular  as  well  as  handsome,  and  he  had 
acquired  fame  too,  for  they  called  him  "the  hero  of  Braddock's 
field."  He  is  better  known  today  by  his  baptismal  name  of 
George  Washington. 

No  mistake  had  been  made  by  the  mother  of  little  John  Parke 
Custis  and  tiny  Martha  Parke  Custis,  for  their  step-father  made 
the  0-year-old  boy  his  companion  and  he  tenderly  cared  for  the 
little  girl  baby  of  only  ,">  years :  so  that  it  was  a  very  happy  family 
that  went  to  live  at  Mount  Vernon,  the  home  on  the  Potomac 
River,  where  until  this  day  lie  the  bodies  of  Washington  and  his 
wife.  But  the  first  sorrow  of  the  life  of  Martha  Washington 
came  in  1773,  when  her  daughter,  Martha  Parke  Custis,  was  taken 
to  another  world,  when  she  was  16  years  of  age,  her  mother's 
companion  and  confidante,  a  beautiful  and  glorious  creature;  and 
Washington  mourned  with  the  mother  when  the  summons  came. 

When  John  Parke  Custis  had  passed  his  twelfth  year  he  became 
unmanageable.  He  was  neither  a  loving  son  nor  a  dutiful  son  to 
the  mother  who  had  been  bereaved;  a  wild,  careless  boy  who 
slipped  away  from  the  care  of  his  guardian.  He  was.  in  truth, 
a  bad  boy. 

When  18  years  of  age  he  was  sent  to  Columbia  College,  in  New 
York,  an  institution  then  known  as  King's  College.  Unwisely 
supplied  with  ample  means  the  young  fellow  devoted  his  time  and 
Ir's  talents  to  society,  fine  raiment,  dogs,  steeds,  sports,  and  paid 
little  attention  to  books  or  to  college  rules. 

141 


Only  three  months  of  college  life  was  enough  for  John  Parke 
Custis,  and  his  collegiate  education  was  finished.  He  wrote  to  his 
mother  that  on  February  4,  1774,  he  had  been  married  to  Eleanor 
Calvert,  aged  16  years,  at  Mount  Airy,  Maryland.  The  young 
lady  was  a  descendant  of  Lord  Baltimore. 

Establishing  a  home  at  Four-Mile-Run  the  bridal  couple  became 
the  first  resident  occupants  of  the  estate  which  had  been  acquired 
by  John  Parke  Custis  (the  lad's  father)  ;  and  that  site  is  now 
just  halfway  between  Washington  City  and  Alexandria,  Virginia, 
and  only  eight  miles  from  Mount  Vernon ;  so  Martha  Washington 
had  opportunity  often  to  see  her  wayward  son  and  the  child  wife 
who  dwelt  in  loyalty  and  unhappiness  with  that  unworthy  young 
man. 

OCCUPIED  AND  NAMED,  1776 

When  the  mansion  was  completed,  and  three  children  were  born 
there,  the  place  was  named  and  became  known  as  "Arlington," 
lor  John  Parke  Custis  knew  of  the  estate  on  the  eastern  shore 
which  John  Custis  had  named  for  the  Earl  of  Arlington. 

But  when  the  time  came  for  the  birth  of  a  fourth  child,  Eleanor 
Custis  visited  the  home  of  her  birth  and  childhood,  at  Mount  Airy, 
Maryland,  and  there  was  born  the  boy,  George  Washington  Parke 
Custis ;  the  boy  George  Washington  loved  and  nurtured,  and  pre- 
pared for  honorable  manhood.  And  be  it  said  in  letters  both 
bold  and  bright  so  that  they  may  sink  into  the  memories  of 
mankind,  the  paternal  work  of  George  Washington  was  wonder- 
ful and  has  not  been  comprehended  nor  appreciated  heretofore. 
For  George  Washington  Parke  Custis  carried  with  him  until  the 
end  of  his  long  and  noble  life  the  lessons  that  he  had  learned  from 
Washington.  There  has  been  no  more  clean,  honorable,  and  noble 
citizen  of  this  republic  than  the  man  whose  boyhood  was  ennobled 
by  the  directing  hand  and  mind  of  George  Washington. 

The  father  of  George  Washington  Parke  Custis  redeemed  his 
reckless  life  of  earlier  years.  He  developed  into  manhood  in  time 
to  participate  in  the  Revolution  and  died  a  hero's  death  as  the 
result  of  exposure  in  the  last  campaign  of  the  struggle  for  Inde- 
pendence and  Liberty.  It  would  be  an  incomplete  and  an  unfair 
history  that  failed  to  give  credit  and  a  meed  of  praise  to  John 
Parke  Custic,  the  soldier  who  gave  his  life  for  his  country. 

Immediately  after  the  death  of  John  Parke  Custis.  his  baby 
boy  was  adopted  by  the  grand  and  masterful  man  whom  we  know 
as  "The  Father  of  His  Country;"  just  as  he  had  adopted  the 
wayward  boy  who  had  finally  given  his  life  for  Liberty  and  Inde- 
pendence. Beyond  criticism  of  mature  minds,  concerning  his 
public  works,  that  same  man  was  above  criticism  as  a  guardian 

142 


and  educator  of  the  children  of  his  wonderful  wife;  and 
grand-son  of  Martha  Washington  became  so  attached  to  "grand- 
pa" that  Martha  Washington  almost  worshiped  her  marvelous 
husband. 

What  marvelous  memories  of  masterful  manhood  must  have 
been  the  delight  of  George  Washington  Parke  Custis  in  his  later 
years ;  for  during  the  formative  years  of  character,  until  he  was 
18  years  of  age,  the  youth,  the  young  man  was  the  constant  com- 
panion and  helpful  aide  to  the  famous  soldier-statesman,  the  fore- 
most man  of  all  the  world ;  memories  that  exerted  an  unconscious 
influence  on  all  of  the  after  years  of  his  noble  life.  He  gave  filial 
fidelity,  and  his  mental  promise  lightened,  livened  and  increased  the 
contentment  and  home  happiness  of  Washington;  and  the  little 
fellow  was  the  idol  of  his  grand-mother  until  the  close  of  her  life 
in  this  sphere  of  intelligence. 

When  his  grand-mother  died  George  Washington  Parke  Custis 
mournfully  turned  away  from  the  home  of  his  babyhood,  child- 
hood, youth  and  young  manhood,  and  carefully  traversed  the 
Arlington  estate,  which  was  his  unincumbered  inheritance,  and  of 
which  he  was  the  sole  heir.  From  every  viewpoint  the  young  man 
examined  his  estate;  not  only  from  the  topographical  conditions 
and  architectural  considerations,  but  always  as  the  only  living 
representative  of  George  Washington  and  as  the  only  human 
being  bearing  that  honored  name. 

Intending  to  erect  for  his  home  a  mansion  near  the  national 
capital  city,  a  residence  to  which  Americans  and  visitors  from 
abroad  might  come  (as  they  did),  he  chose  the  crest  of  the  forest- 
clad  "Arlington  Heights,"  and  there  he  made  a  clearing  so  that 
from  the  portico  of  the  Mansion  there  should  be  a  complete  view 
of  the  city  which  would  be  built  on  the  Maryland  side  of  the 
Potomac,  and  a  site  on  which  the  Mansion  would  always  be  easily 
observed  by  residents  of  and  visitors  to  the  Federal  City. 

Personally  he  selected  the  site,  personally  he  supervised  the 
clearing  away  of  the  enshrouding  trees,  and  personally  he  made 
the  choice  of  architecture.  Then  he  personally  superintended  the 
work  of  building,  from  the  breaking  of  the  ground  and  digging 
the  foundations,  and  laying  the  foundation  stones,  to  the  roofing 
and  decorations;  even  to  the  selection  and  laying  of  the  flagging 
stones  of  the  magnificent  portico.  Every  brick  in  the  Arlington 
Mansion  was  moulded  and  burned  on  the  estate. 

This  famous  old  Mansion  has  a  frontage  of  140  feet,  including 
the  main  building  and  the  lower  wing  on  either  side.  The  great 
Greek  portico  was  modeled  after  the  style  of  the  Temple  of 
Theseus  at  Athens. 

The  portico  is  60  feet  wide  and  25  feet  deep. 

143 


The  graceful  entablature  is  uplifted  by  eight  massively  im- 
pressive Doric  columns. 

The  view  of  the  Potomac  River  for  many  miles  is  glorified  by 
the  hills  of  Maryland  which  green-wall  the  entire  District  of 
Columbia;  hills  which  seem  to  be  the  frames  formed  and  placed 
b\  Nature  for  a  picture  no  artist  can  paint. 

Then,  when  he  was  23  years  of  age,  a  wonderfully  mature  and 
dignified  man  for  his  years,  George  Washington  Parke  Custis  was 
married  to  Mary  Lee  Fitzhugh,  aged  16  years;  and  she  became 
the  first  mistress  of  the  grandest  colonial  mansion  in  this  new 
world. 

From  the  portico  of  the  Arlington  Mansion,  George  Washington 
Parke  Custis  and  his  wife  witnessed  the  growth  of  the  Federal 
City,  as  it  was  then  known.  In  that  mansion  they  lived  and  loved 
until  the  year  1853,  when  the  gentle  spirit  of  the  wife  was  called 
hence,  leaving  to  the  bereaved  husband  an  only  child,  a  daughter, 
Mary  Ann  Randolph  Lee,  the  wife  of  Colonel  Robert  E.  Lee, 
U.  S.  A.  And  so,  George  Washington  Parke  Custis  was  the  last 
male  owner  of  the  Arlington  estate ;  the  last  to  have  and  to  hold 
possession  of  that  magnificent  property.  Very  soon  after  the 
departure  of  the  builder  of  the  mansion  the  tocsins  of  war  sounded 
over  Arlington,  and  the  valley  resounded  with  the  echoes  of  the 
trumpets  which  called  to  arms  from  that  broad  portico  on  the 
Virginia  eminence. 

Today  and  for  all  time  from  that  portico  can  be  witnessed  the 
development  of  the  wonderful  Capital  City  of  the  Republic;  the 
city  now  rapidly  assuming  proportions  and  lines  of  beauty  which 
are  making  it  the  Capital  of  Peace,  a  Capital  city  leading  the 
world  of  intelligence  and  the  divine  uplifting  of  humanity  "for 
the  healing  of  the  nations." 

Anticipating  the  hands  of  avarice  which  have  made  of  Mount 
Vernon  a  show-place  with  a  price  of  admission,  cash  in  hand,  the 
affectionate  grand-son  of  Martha  Washington  managed  secretly 
to  carry  away  from  the  borne  of  his  happy  boyhood  many  memen- 
toes of  the  life  of  his  highly  esteemed,  deeply  loved  and  famous 
guardian. 

TENT  OF  WASHINGTON 

Particularly  proud  he  was  of  one  relic,  and  he  valued  it  most 
highly,  and  that  was  the  old,  weather-beaten  and  war-worn  "Tent 
of  Washington;"  the  tent  which  had  been  used  constantly  and 
continually  by  General  George  Washington  from  July,  1775, 
when  it  was  first  pitched  at  Cambridge,  until  many  weeks  after 
the  surrender  of  Lord  Cornwallis  at  Yorktown.  That  canvas 
"Tent  of  Washington"  had  been  the  silent  witness  of  all  of  the 
greatest  events  of  the  War  of  the  Revolution. 

144 


And  so,  at  the  Arlington  Mansion,  whenever  George  Washing- 
ton Parke  Custis  desired  to  manifest  particular  regard  or  to  espe- 
cially honor  any  guests  the  famous  old  "Tent  of  Washington" 
was  pitched  out  upon  the  lawn  for  their  reception. 

VISIT   OF   LA   FAYETTE 

On  October  12,  1824,  when  General  Lafayette  was  entertained 
by  the  Federal  Government  in  Washington  City,  and  ceremonies 
in  his  honor  were  splendored  in  the  Capitol  Building,  George 
Washington  Parke  Custis  was  there  and  the  "Tent  of  Wash- 
ington" was  pitched  where  now  the  Rotunda  is  located  under 
the  Dome  and  its  Brumidi  canopy.  And  there  in  that  tent  Gen- 
eral Lafayette  said  to  Mr.  Custis :  "I  first  saw  you  at  Mount 
Vernon  in  1784,  thirty  years  ago,  and  you  were  a  very  little 
gentleman  with  a  feather  in  his  hat,  holding  fast  to  one  finger 
of  the  masterful  hand  of  the  good  George  Washington." 

During  the  last  two  years  of  the  life  of  George  Washington, 
while  the  young  gentleman  was  coming  into  manhood,  the  home 
at  Mount  Vernon  was  the  Mecca  of  America  to  which  all  men 
of  distinction  came,  as  Lafayette  had  come  in  the  manner  de- 
scribed by  him.  The  greatest  entertainer  on  this  continent  was 
the  distinguished  master  of  Mount  Vernon;  and  it  was  this  fact, 
comprehended  by  George  Washington  Parke  Custis  that  largely 
influenced  the  young  man  in  the  location,  the  preparation  and  the 
building  of  the  Arlington  Mansion,  because  he  knew  that  the 
direct  heirs  of  his  great  guardian  could  not  and  therefore  would 
not  entertain  becomingly.  Therefore  Arlington  Mansion  became 
the  Mecca  for  those  who  remembered  and  revered  George  Wash- 
ington ;  and  so  he  kept  open  house  as  long  as  he  lived. 

During  his  life  time,  which  was  the  first  half  of  the  nineteenth 
century,  the  favorite  picnicing  grounds  for  Alexandria,  Union- 
town,  Washington,  Rockville,  and  all  of  the  surrounding  country, 
were  around  the  famous  "Arlington  Springs."  There  the  chil- 
dren of  the  churches,  schools,  Sunday  Schools,  and  the  grown 
folks  of  the  various  lodges  and  civil  societies  wended  their  ways. 

"Welcome"  was  signaled  by  the  beds  of  flowers,  over  the 
various  gates,  and  on  the  genial  kindly  faces  of  the  gentle  man  and 
the  gentle  woman  who  cheerily  greeted  all  visitors ;  and  every- 
body knew  that  the  welcome  was  hearty,  heart-felt,  and  sincere. 

Although  the  population  of  the  city  and  of  the  country  was 
very  small  as  compared  with  modern  conditions,  yet  upwards 
of  20,000  people  visited  Arlington  during  the  season  of  1856 : 
and  the  picnicing  parties  continued  to  increase  in  numbers  an- 
nually until  1861,  when  the  clouds  of  civil  strife  began  to  ob- 
scure and  efface  all  pleasures,  and  the  -funeral  processions  began 

145 


to  take  the  places  of  the  parades,  picnics  and  fraternal  celebra- 
tions of  the  prosperous  people. 

Previous  to  the  year  1857  thousands  of  little  children  were  en- 
tertained by  a  distinguished-looking  elderly  gentleman  who  came 
down  the  pathway  from  the  mansion,  dressed  as  in  colonial  days, 
and  carried  with  him  a  violin  on  which  he  played  the  popular 
tunes  for  the  little  ones;  and  that  cheerful  entertainer  was  the 
adopted  son  of  George  Washington  the  master  of  Arlington; 
and  he  manifestly  enjoyed  extending  even  to  the  children  the 
same  spirit  of  Virginia  hospitality  which  had  been  displayed  so 
freely,  in  his  way,  by  the  great  man  Washington,  whose  name 
was  so  worthily  borne  by  that  gentle  Virginia  gentleman  of  the 
olden  style ;  and  at  a  time  when  Virginia  hospitality  was  prover- 
bial almost  all  around  the  world. 

Fortunately  for  that  noble  man,  George  Washington  Parke 
Custis,  he  did  not  live  to  see  the  division  of  his  country ;  did  not 
live  to  see  his  daughter  fleeing  from  her  home;  did  not  live  to 
see  his  estate  confiscated  by  the  Federal  Government;  did  not 
live  to  see  Arlington  Heights  gleaming  under  the  sun,  nor  by  the 
moonlight,  nor  by  torchlights,  nor  by  the  camp  fires  "of  the 
hundred  circling  camps"  of  the  vast  armies  of  soldier  boys  who 
assembled  there  to  march  and  counter  march  over  the  soil  of  old 
Virginia,  to  drench  its  hills  and  valleys  with  fratracidal  blood. 
His  coming  to  earth  was  a  blessing  to  his  mother  and  to  his 
grand-mother;  and  his  life  was  a  spring  of  happiness  to  Wash- 
ington also.  But  in  the  year  1857,  at  Arlington,  there  were 

ANGELS  HOVERING  AROUND, 

to  carry  home  the  gentle  spirit  of  the  noble  man  whose  life  had 
been  without  reproach,  whose  character  had  been  clean,  whose 
name  was  honored  during  the  days  of  his  life,  and  whose  name 
should  always  be  honored  by  all  who  revere  the  memory  of 
George  Washington,  in  the  shadow  of  whose  life  and  character 
George  Washington  Parke  Custis  lived,  served  and  died.  No- 
body but  himself  knew  the  intensity  of  his  bereavement  when 
his  good  wife  passed  away.  His  daughter  was  with  him,  it  is 
true,  but  her  attentions  were  absorbed  and  her  affections  were 
diluted  because  of  the  presence  of  her  husband  and  the  two  boys ; 
Custis  and  "Rooney"  Lee.  And  the  master  of  the  place  was 
lonely ;  but  not  desolate  nor  repining. 

On  the  morning  of  October  6,  1857,  the  venerable  gentleman 
reluctantly  admitted  that  the  severe  cold  had  become  an  illness, 
and  late  that  Sunday  afternoon  he  retired  to  his  room  and  to 
bed,  saying  that  a  long  night's  rest  would  be  sufficient  to  restore 
him  to  his  normal  condition  of  health.  But  on  Monday  he  re- 

146 


mained  in  his  room,  although  not  remaining  in  bed.  On  Tuesday 
morning  he  sent  for  a  physician  because  his  symptoms  indicated 
that  pneumonia  was  the  ailment,  and  the  physician  informed  him 
that  the  case  was  serious.  On  Wednesday  evening  he  sent  for 
his  pastor,  who  arrived  on  the  morning  of  Thursday;  and  the 
mind  of  the  gentleman,  the  noble  man,  was  so  clear,  that  when 
his  pastor  entered  the  room,  George  Washington  Parke  Custis 
asked  him  to  offer  prayer  for  the  dying. 

With  the  deeply  mourning  family  and  the  sobbing  servants 
gathered  around  him,  while  the  prayer  was  being  offered,  the 
spirit  of  the  magnificent  specimen  of  American  manhood  left  the 
time-worn  body  and  "ran  up,  with  joy,  the  shining  way,"  leaving 
upon  the  face  of  the  earthly  tenement  a  smile  of  contentment  and 
perfect  peace.  Thus,  with  the  close  of  the  day  of  Thursday, 
October  10,  1857,  was  closed  the  life  of  the  boy  and  man  whom 
George  Washington  loved,  the  owner  and  the  builder  of  Arling- 
ton Mansion,  George  Washington  Parke  Custis. 

From  Washington  City  and  from  all  of  the  surrounding  com- 
munities and  country  homes  sincere  mourners  came  to  attend  the 
funeral  services ;  hundreds  of  elderly  ladies  and  gentlemen  being 
conspicuous  as  sincere  mourners  because  of  their  tears  and  sobs. 
From  Washington  City  to  Arlington  Mansion  and  then  to  the 
grave,  the  President's  Mounted  Troop  marched,  becoming  a 
guard  of  honor ;  and  there  came  also  the  Mount  Vernon  Guards, 
of  Alexandria,  Virginia,  the  Associated  Survivors  of  the  War 
of  1812,  the  Washington  Light  Infantry,  and  the  very  many  civil 
organizations.  Members  of  the  Cabinet  of  President  Buchanan 
and  many  other  high  officials  were  there  to  pay  their  respects  to 
the  memory  of  the  gentleman  whom  all  had  esteemed  and  re- 
spected, and  whom  George  Washington  had  loved  as  his  own. 

About  three  hundred  feet  south  of  the  main  driveway  through 
the  Cemetery  Grounds  there  are  two  graves ;  the  last  resting  places 
of  the  owner  and  builder  of  the  Arlington  Mansion  and  his  wife, 
the  first  mistress  of  the  manse,  who  came  to  it  as  a  bride  when 
only  sixteen  years  of  age.  It  is  as  true  of  them  as  though  the 
words  of  Holy  Writ  had  been  intended  solely  for  them,  that  "they 
were  lovely  and  pleasant  in  their  lives,  and  in  their  deaths  they 
were  not  divided." 

Between  these  graves  and  the  Mansion  are  rows  of  the  graves 
of  the  soldiers  of  the  Republic.  The  soldier's  grave  nearest  to 
them  bears  this  inscription:  "John  Kattnor,  N.  Y.,  5274." 

Very  brief  and  plain  and  clear  was  the  will  of  George  Wash- 
ington Parke  Custis,  in  which  he  gave  "to  my  dearly  beloved  and 
only  child,  Mary  Ann  Randolph  Lee,  my  Arlington  Estate  in  the 
County  of  Alexandria,  containing  1,100  acres,  during  the  term 
of  her  natural  life." 

147 


On  June  30,  1831,  in  the  drawing  room  of  the  Arlington  Man- 
sion that  dearly  beloved  and  only  child,  Mary  Ann  Randolph 
Custis,  in  the  presence  of  her  parents  and  with  their  approval, 
was  married  to  Colonel  Robert  E.  Lee,  by  the  Reverend  William 
Meade,  who  afterwards  became  a  Bishop  in  the  Protestant  Epis- 
copal Church. 

In  his  will,  the  late  George  Washington  Parke  Custis  also  made 
the  following  provision : 

"On  the  death  of  my  daughter,  Mary  Ann  Randolph  Lee,  all 
of  the  property  left  to  her  during  the  term  of  her  natural  life, 
I  give  and  bequeath  to  my  eldest  grand-son  George  Washington 
Custis  Lee,  to  him  and  to  his  heirs  forever,  he,  my  eldest  grand- 
son, taking  my  name  and  arms." 

On  August  5,  1861,  a  new  revenue  law  became  operative,  a  war 
measure  to  provide  funds  for  the  Federal  Government  which 
was  then  engaged  in  raising  and  equiping  armies  for  the  na- 
tional defense ;  and  by  that  Act  of  Congress,  with  its  amendments, 
a  Federal  tax  of  $92.07  was  imposed  upon  the  Arlington  estate. 

Moreover,  under  the  provisions  of  that  law,  nobody  could  pay 
taxes  upon  property  assessed,  except  the  person  against  whom  and 
in  whose  name  the  taxes  were  entered  and  charged. 

And  furthermore,  the  taxes  were  assessed  against  the  sole 
owner  of  the  property,  Mary  Ann  Randolph  Lee;  a  lady  who 
then  resided  in  Richmond,  Virginia,  and  whose  husband  was  a 
major  general  commanding  Virginia  soldiers  then  marshaled 
under  another  flag  than  the  flag  of  the  United  States.  Under 
such  circumstances  the  sole  owner,  Mary  Ann  Randolph  Lee,  could 
not,  and  of  course  did  not,  appear  in  person  to  pay  the  tax  of 
$92.07. 

Consequently,  on  January  11,  1864,  the  owner  having  disre- 
garded the  tax  during  a  period  of  more  than  two  years,  the  en- 
tire estate  was  sold  at  a  public  auction,  after  extensive  advertis- 
ing. It  was  struck  off  to  the  United  States  Government  for  the 
meagre  sum  of  $26,800,  and  military  as  well  as  civil  possession 
immediately  followed. 

Eleven  hundred  acres  of  land,  worth. today  not  less  than  two 
thousand  dollars  per  acre  (more  than  $2,000,000)  thus  passed 
into  the  possession  of  the  Government  for  the  paltry  sum  of  $26,- 
800 ;  and  there  has  been  no  change  in  the  title  from  that  date  to 
this,  a  period  of  fifty-eight  years. 

WHITHER  THOU  GOEST 

Imagine,  if  you  can,  the  tragedy  of  the  Civil  War,  as  to  its 
bearing  upon  only  one  individual ;  although  we  know  that  it 
struck  deep  into  all  of  the  homes  of  this  country,  north  and  south 
as  well.  Imagine  if  you  can  the  heart-throbs  and  the  brain  storm 

148 


of  Mary  Ann  Randolph  Custis  Lee,  when  the  time  came  for  her 
to  decide  whether  she  should  remain  with  the  estate  of  her  noble 
father,  or  turn  back  upon  that  grand  and  magnificent  heritage  and 
cast  her  lot  with  her  husband;  and,  remember,  against  the  flag 
of  Washington,  the  flag  of  her  father.  To  go  with  her  husband 
meant  the  abandonment  of  the  Arlington  Mansion,  her  birthplace, 
her  childhod  home,  the  home  of  her  mother,  and  of  her  father. 

Today,  we  may  realize  that  her  abandonment  of  the  property 
was  unwise ;  but  our  viewpoint  is  vastly  different.  She  was  the 
wife  of  Robert  E.  Lee;  and,  to  the  marriage  vows  which  she 
decided  to  keep,  she  added  the  other  wonder  words  of  Scripture : 
"Whither  thou  goest,  I  will  go.  Thy  people  shall  be  my  people, 
and  thy  God,  my  God."  And  so  she  went  with  Robert  E.  Lee, 
and  dwelt  with  his  people.  We  know,  but  she  did  not  know, 
that  if  she  had  remained  there  in  possession  of  her  own  indi- 
vidual estate,  no  matter  what  course  her  husband  might  have 
pursued,  the  property  would  not  and  could  not  have  been  taken 
from  her. 

Does  the  extreme  critic  say  that  she  should  have  remained  and 
held  the  property  for  her  son  ?  The  answer  is  this :  the  eldest 
son,  the  heir  to  follow  her,  George  Washington  Custis  Lee,  was 
with  her,  and  he  gave  up  his  title  voluntarily,  when  his  mother 
gave  up  her  title.  He  went  with  his  father,  as  she  went  with  her 
husband. 

At  the  Military  Academy  of  the  United  States,  at  West  Point, 
the  Constitution  of  the  United  States  was  taught ;  and  in  the 
teaching  the  doctrine  of  "State  sovereignty"  was  emphatically  in- 
culcated. 

While  a  student  there  Robert  E.  Lee  was  taught  that  doctrine, 
and  he  believed  4t  thoroughly.  Moreover,  the  son,  George  Wash- 
ington Custis  Lee,  was  taught  the  same  doctrine  at  West  Point; 
and  Custis  Lee,  the  heir  presumptive,  believed  in  that  interpreta- 
tion of  the  Constitution  as  it  was  officially  taught  at  West  Point ; 
and  thus  both  father  and  son.  graduates  of  West  Point  Military 
Academy,  were  merely  doing  as  they  had  been  officially  taught  to 
do,  when  they  followed  the  fortunes  of  the  sovereign  State  of 
Virginia  and  entered  the  army  of  the  Confederate  States  of 
America,  when  Virginia  entered  that  confederacy. 

After  the  four  years  of  civil  war  the  State  of  Virginia  was  not 
represented  in  the  Congress  of  the  United  States  until  January, 
1870;  and  then,  Senator  John  W.  Johnston  of  Virginia  intro- 
duced in  the  Senate  at  Washington  on  January  22,  1870,  a  peti- 
tion of  one  of  the  citizens  of  Virginia,  Mary  Ann  Randolph  Lee, 
stating  that  "it  cannot  be  doubted  that  a  serious  cloud  rests  upon 
the  title  of  the  Government  to  the  Arlington  Estate,"  and  adding: 

"To  remove  that  cloud  and  quiet  the  title,  the  petitioner  and 

149 


her  son,  G.  W.  C.  Lee  (he  owner  of  the  revision)  will  execute 
and  deliver  such  necessary  releases  and  conveyances  as  may  be 
adjudged  sufficient  to  sanction  and  quiet  any  claim  which  the  Gov- 
ernment may  now  have,  by  making  legal  and  valid  title  to  the 
property,  for  three  hundred  thousand  dollars  ($300,000.00)." 

No  action  was  taken  by  the  Congress  concerning  that  petition, 
and  it  was  not  allowed  to  go  onto  the  calendar  for  consideration. 

Mary  Ann  Randolph  Lee  died  in  November,  1873,  and  the 
claim  to  the  Arlington  Estate  at  once  vested  in  her  eldest  son, 
George  Washington  Custis  Lee,  by  revision  of  the  will. 

On  April  6,  1874,  Senator  Johnston  presented  to  the  Senate  a 
memorial  from  the  claimant,  G.  W.  C.  Lee,  offering  to  convey  to 
the  Government  his  fee  simple  title  "upon  the  payment  of  a  just 
compensation." 

That  proposal  also  was  ignored,  and  nothing  was  done  to  clarify 
the  title  to  the  estate  until  March  31,  1883,  when  the  Congress 
appropriated  the  sum  of  $150,000  "for  the  purchase  of  the  Ar- 
lington Estate." 

Thereupon  George  Washington  Custis  Lee  executed  a  deed 
covering  title  to  all  of  his  rights  to  the  property,  thereby  remov- 
ing the  last  cloud  to  the  title  of  the  Government  to  that  magnifi- 
cent estate ;  an  estate  which  was  worth,  at  that  time,  not  less  than 
half  a  million  dollars. 

On  April  22,  1861,  Col.  Robert  E.  Lee  and  all  of  the  members 
of  his  family,  departed  from  Arlington;  and,  until  May  24  of 
that  year,  nobody  dwelt  at  Arlington  but  a  few  of  the  faithful 
slaves. 

On  May  3,  1861,  Lieutenant  General  Winfield  Scott,  com- 
manding the  armies  of  the  United  States,  ordered  General  J.  K. 
F.  Mansfield  to  "Seize  and  fortify  Arlington  .Heights,  for  the 
defenses  of  Washington  City." 

At  two  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  May  24,  1861,  troops  be- 
gan the  invasion  of  Virginia,  crossing  the  Long  Bridge  and  the 
Aqueduct  Bridge,  and  those  troops  occupied  the  Arlington  Estate, 
pitching  their  tents  on  those  heights  all  the  way  from  Four- 
Mile-run  to  and  including  the  grounds  surrounding  the  Ar- 
lington Mansion,  and  overlooking  the  Capital  City  opposite 
Georgetown  College. 

ARLINGTON  NATIONAL  CEMETERY 

Quartermaster  General  Montgomery  C.  Meigs,  one  of  the  great 
men  of  the  United  States  Army  who  rendered  distinguished  serv- 
ice during  a  long  and  honorable  life,  without  seeking  and  of  course 
without  acquiring  fame,  was  the  first  official  who  "dipt  into  the 
future,  far  as  human  eye  could  see,"  and  realized  the  value  of 
the  Arlington  Estate  to  the  Nation  as  the  location  for  a  National 

150 


cemetery.  It  was  he  who  presented  the  idea  to  Secretary  Stan- 
ton,  and  it  was  because  of  his  tireless  insistence  that  the  auction 
sale  was  ordered,  at  which  sale  the  Government  acquired  a  tax- 
sale  title  to  the  estate  on  January  11,  1864. 

Four  months  thereafter,  on  May  13,  1864,  Quartermaster  Gen- 
eral Meigs  ordered  the  burial  at  Arlington  of  about  a  score  of 
Federal  soldiers  who  had  died  of  wounds  received  in  the  battles 
of  the  Wilderness  and  at  Spottsylvania  Court  House,  Virginia. 
They  were  buried  in  the  terrace  which  then  bordered  the  garden, 
in  the  rear  of  the  mansion;  and  that  was  the  beginning  of  Ar- 
lington National  Cemetery. 

On  June  15,  1864,  Edwin  M.  Stanton,  Secretary  of  War,  issued 
an  order  setting  apart  two  hundred  acres  of  the  estate,  including 
the  mansion,  "for  a  Military  Cemetery,  to  be  laid  out  and  en- 
closed for  the  burial  of  soldiers  dying  in  the  hospitals,  in  and 
about  Washington  City." 

FIRST  DECORATION  DAY 

May  30,  18G8,  General  John  A.  Logan,  the  first  Commander-in- 
Chief  of  the  newly  organized  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  pro- 
mulgated an  order  setting  apart  that  day  as  Memorial  Day 
throughout  the  entire  country,  and  exhorting  the  veterans  and 
all  of  the  bereaved  ones  of  the  land  to  "decorate  the  graves  of 
the  fallen  citizen  soldiery."  And  so,  May  30  was  named  both 
Memorial  Day  and  Decoration  Day;  the  official  name  of  Memo- 
rial Day  having  been  given  at  a  later  date,  when  that  day  was 
made  a  national  holiday. 

Major  General  James  A.  Garfield,  of  Ohio,  then  a  Member  of 
the  House  of  Representatives,  delivered  the  first  Memorial  Day 
address  at  Arlington  on  May  30,  1868,  from  a  platform,  with  an 
awning,  which  was  erected  on  the  lawn  in  front  of  the  Arlington 
Mansion  on  the  very  spot  where  George  Washington  Parke  Cus- 
tis  had  often  pitched  the  "Tent  of  Washington,"  to  honor  his 
guests.  And  there,  every  year  afterwards,  the  exercises  of 
Memorial  Day  were  held,  until  the  year  1897,  when  the  Sylvan 
Temple  was  prepared,  and  from  the  forum  there  President  Mc- 
Kinley  addressed  a  large  concourse. 

To  describe  and  make  mention  of  all  of  the  monuments  and 
improvements  since  that  day  would  require  a  volume;  a  treatise 
more  elaborate  than  this  condensation  of  history. 

More  than  40,000  soldiers  of  the  Civil  War  are  buried  on  the 
Arlington  Estate;  and,  until  this  day,  every  aged  veteran  of  the 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic  who  dies  in  Washington  City,  is 
there  interred  with  military  honors,  although  the  few  surviving 
veterans  go  to  the  Cemetery  now  in  automobiles;  whereas,  until 

151 


ten  years  ago  they  were  accustomed  to  march  the  entire  distance 
from  almost  any  point  in  Washington  City. 

Twenty  years  ago,  when  it  was  proposed  to  have  buried  in  Ar- 
lington National  Cemetery  a  veteran  of  the  War  with  Spain, 
the  old  soldiers  protested  vigorously,  because  that  place  had  been 
set  apart  exclusively  for  them.  But  the  old  boys  were  finally 
convinced  that  there  is  room  enough  for  all ;  and  so  it  is  customary 
now  for  the  bodies  of  the  Spanish  War  veterans  to  be  carried 
there  also  for  the  last  sounding  of  "taps." 

And  today,  as  the  years  have  gone  rolling  by,  there  has  been 
buried  there  with  national  honors  the  body  of  "The  Unknown 
Soldier"  who  died  in  France  and  was  found  on  the  battlefield; 
and  there  are  so  many  others  of  the  American  Legion  buried 
there,  that  it  is  not  prophecy  to  state  that  the  many  other  unused 
acres  will  be  occupied  in  the  same  way,  as  the  corroding  canker 
and  the  gnawing  tooth  of  time  increases  the  number  of  those 
soldiers  who  will  be  obliged  to  join  "the  bivouac  of  the  dead.'' 

Half  a  century  elapsed  before  the  Nation  practically  and  of- 
ficially followed  the  sage  and  far-seeing  counsel  of  General  Grant, 
who  said  at  the  conclusion  of  the  war  of  1861-1865,  "Let  us  have 
Peace."  Half  a  century  of  time  had  mellowed  the  hearts  and 
obliterated  the  hatreds  in  the  memories  of  the  soldiers  of  the 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  and  a  place  was  set  apart  for  the 
brave  American  soldier  boys  who  followed  Robert  E.  Lee  be- 
neath the  famous  battle  flag  known  as  "The  Southern  Cross." 

When  there  was  erected,  unveiled  and  dedicated  there  a  monu- 
ment for  those  soldier  boys  of  "Dixie"  this  writer  was  there  and 
saw  the  fulfilment  not  only  of  the  counsel  of  General  Grant  but 
of  another  brave  Union  soldier,  Major  William  McKinley,  who 
had  said  while  in  Georgia,  that  "it  is  time  that  we  honor  the 
memory  of  the  dead  soldiers  of  the  South." 

Inasmuch  as  this  country  has  captured  the  body,  the  army,  the 
name  and  the  fame  of  Robert  E.  Lee;  concerning  whom  Lieu- 
tenant-General  Winfield  Scott  wrote  "he  is  the  very  best  soldier 
I  have  ever  seen  in  the  field ;"  and  inasmuch  as  this  country  has 
honored  that  hero  of  the  War  with  Mexico  with  a  statute  in  the 
Capitol ;  and  inasmuch  as  his  fame  as  a  soldier  is  a  part  of  the 
history  of  the  Nation ;  the  reader  will  not  object  to  the  predic- 
tion of  a  Virginian  by  birth,  that  some  day  the  National  Ceme- 
tery at  Arlington  will  be  made  the  more  completely  "National," 
by  the  interment  there  of  the  bodies  of  Robert  Edward  Lee ; 
his  wife,  the  sole  inheritance  owner  of  the  estate  when  she  died ; 
and  the  last  Custis-owner,  George  Washington  Custis  Lee ;  whose 
deed  of  conveyance  gave  to  the  Government  a  clear  title  to  the 
property. 

'     152 


Upon  the  Lee  Monument  it  should  be  inscribed  that  George 
Washington  Custis  Lee,  a  born  soldier,  was  a  first  honor  man 
all  of  the  time  when  he  was  a  cadet  at  West  Point;  that  he  re- 
ceived not  one  demerit  mark ;  that  he  was  graduated  at  the  head 
of  his  class ;  and  that,  in  1864,  when  General  Robert  E.  Lee  was 
seriously  ill.  President  Jefferson  Davis,  himself  a  trained  soldier 
of  West  Point  and  of  the  Mexican  War,  said:  "In  the  event  of 
the  death  of  General  Robert  E.  Lee,  I  shall  at  once  appoint  his 
equal  as  a  soldier,  his  son,  George  Washington  Custis  Lee,  as 
the  commander  of  all  of  the  armies  of  the  Confederacy  now  in 
the  field." 

Then,  "after  these  many  days"  will  be  completely  fulfiled  the 
nope  of  the  heart  of  General  Grant  who  said  so  fervently : 

"Let  us  have  Peace!" 


153 


OUR   NATIONAL   ANTHEM 

"An  Ode  to  Anacreon,"  is  of  European  origin.  The  words 
and  the  air  were  devoted  to  jollifications  and  orgies.  The  "Ode 
to  Anacreon"  is  a  drinking  song,  for  drunkards ;  human  beings  of 
a  past  age. 

Unfortunately,  Francis  Scott  Key  wrote  his  poetic  words  to 
suit  that  tune.  Hence,  the  Star  Spangled  Banner  cannot  be  the 
national  anthem  of  a  sane  and  sober  people. 

"Dixie"  is  the  most  inspiringly  popular  air  known  to  our 
people. 

"Dixie"  was  written  in  America. 

"Dixie"  was  produced  by  the  brain  of  an  American  citizen; 
and  a  native-born  citizen,  too. 

"Dixie"  was  written  in  the  State  of  Ohio. 

"Dixie"  was  first  produced  in  public  in  the  city  of  Cincinnati. 

"Dixie,"  although  sent  forth  on  the  northern  side  of  the  of- 
ficially known  border  line.  "Mason  and  Dixon's  Line"  (the  line 
between  the  long-time  unfriendly  sections)  ;  was  captured  by 
the  Confederates,  adopted  and  held  by  them. 

"Dixie"  has  become  sacred  to  the  South-land,  although  it 
belongs  to  all  of  our  now,  forever,  UNITED  States. 

When  my  esteemed  friend  General  Fitzhugh  Lee  returned  from 
the  position  of  Consul-General  to  Cuba  in  1898,  he  said  to  me: 
"After  the  battleship  Maine  had  been  destroyed,  every  day 
from  that  date  until  my  departure  from  Havana,  I  was  pointed 
out  as  'The  Yankee  Consul  General.'  Just  think  of  that!  And 
you  know  that  I  was  an  active  Confederate  anti- Yankee  soldier 
for  four  years.  But  we  are  known  now  as  'Yankees'  all  over 
the  world,  and  this  is  now  'Yankee  Land.'  " 

That's  how  the  writer  came  to  entitle  his  poetic  story  of  our 
patriotic  history,  "Yankee  Land." 

Whistle  it!    Sing  it!    It's  YOUR  tune.    It's  OUR  "Dixie." 


155 


YANKEE  LAND 

OUR  NATIONAL  ANTHEM 
By  SMITH  D.  FRY 

AIR— DIXIE 

Our  Anthem  tells  of  Lexington, 
The  Revolutionary  War  brave  Yankees  won. 
'Twas  a  thrill  from  Bunker  Hill 

Till  the  foemen  hence  were  hurled. 
George  Washington,  in  fearless  manner, 
On  Cambridge  raised  the  Star  Spangled  banner. 
Now  it  gleams  o'er  the  streams 

And  the  ramparts  of  the  world. 

CHORUS 

Our  battle  flags  are  flying,  hooray !  hooray ! 
O'er  ocean  wave,  Freedom  to  save, 
While  Tyranny  is  dying. 

Hooray,  hooray,  the  Stars  and  Stripes  forever! 

Hooray,  hooray,  our  Yankee  Land  forever ! 

Revere,  Ward,  Greene,  Gates,  Patrick  Henry, 

John  Hancock,  Jefferson,  our  heroes  were  many; 
Soldiers  brave,  statesmen  grave, 

Risked  their  lives  for  Yankee  Land. 
Our  bold  Continentals,  in  their  ragged  regimentals, 

Left   their    wives,    homes,    sweethearts    and    dearest    senti- 

mentals 
Gallant  band,  heart  in  hand 

To  create  this  Yankee  Land. 

CHORUS:  Our  battle  flags,  etc. 

At  Valley  Forge  in  hunger  and  in  cold, 

They  did  shiver. 
Then  followed  noble  George  across  Delaware  River; 

And  they  smote  the  Red  Coat, 
To  preserve  this  Yankee  Land. 

First  in  war,  first  in  peace,  earth's  greatest  of  men, 
Was  first  in  the  hearts  of  his  countrymen 

A  leader  brave,  God  gave, 
To  enfranchise  Yankee  Land. 

CHORUS:  Our  battle  flags,  etc. 


From  Tennessee  mountains  and  deep  foggy  bottoms, 

With  Jackson,  they  fought  behind  bales  of  cotton. 
Every  shot  hit  the  spot, 

And  they  saved  their  Yankee  Land. 
Davy  Crockett  died  in  glory  at  the  white  Alamo, 

To  avenge  him,  Yankees  then  conquered  Mexico 
Fighting  hot,  they  followed  Scott, 

And  expanded  Yankee  Land. 
CHORUS  :  Our  battle  flags,  etc. 

Our  Yankee  boys'  daddies  followed  Grant  and  Lee, 
While  Sherman  raised  "war"    on  his  march  to  the  sea. 
Strife  raged,  battles  waged 

In  divided  Yankee  Land. 

Then  "Let  us  have  peace,"  said  Grant  to  Lee. 
"United  we  are,  and  ever  shall  be. 

Keep  your  sword."     Praise  the  Lord 
For  united  Yankee  Land. 

CHORUS:  Our  battle  flags,  etc. 

Spanish  ships  were  shattered  with  each  cannon's  throb. 
"After  breakfast,"  said  Dewey,  "we'll  finish  this  job." 
And  he  did — Dewey  did, 

With  his  fleet  from  Yankee  Land. 
At  Santiago,  "sailor  boys  behind  the  great  guns ;" 
In  Porto  Rico  soldier  boys  victories  won. 
Sailor  boys,  soldier  boys, 

Conquered  peace  for  Yankee  Land. 

CHORUS:  Our  battle  flags,  etc. 

Then  Congress  declared  to  the  land  of  the  brave 
"No  nation  on  earth  shall  the  Kaiser  enslave ; 
Make  them  free,  free  as  we. 

All  are  free  in  Yankee  Land." 

• 

Then  victory  came  both  on  land  and  sea 
To  the  boys  whose  daddies  followed  Grant  and  Lee. 
Soldier  boys,  sailor  boys, 

Over  there  for  Yankee  Land. 

CHORUS:  Our  battle  flags,  etc. 

(Copyright,  1917,  by  Smith  D.  Fry.} 


157 


Every  American  Citizen,  particularly  every  boy  and  every  girl 
in  this  land  should  read 

FRY'S   PATRIOTIC  STORY   OF   THE  CAPITOL 
This  work  disseminates 

THE  AMERICAN'S  CREED 

By   HON.  WM.  TYLER  PAGE 

'       (Official) 

I  BELIEVE  in  the  United  States  of  America  as  a  government  of 
the  people,  by  the  people,  for  the  people,  whose  just  powers 
are  derived  from  the  consent  of  the  governed;  a  democracy 
in  a  republic;  a  sovereign  Nation  of  many  sovereign  States;  a 
perfect  Union,  one  and  inseparable,  established  upon  those  prin- 
ciples of   freedom,   equality,   justice,   and   humanity   for   which 
American  patriots  sacrificed  their  lives  and  fortunes. 

I  therefore  believe  it  is  my  duty  to  my  country  to  love  it;  to 
support  its  Constitution ;  to  obey  its  laws ;  to  respect  its  flag ;  and 
to  defend  it  against  all  enemies. 


158 


THIS    LITTLE   BOOK    IS    REALLY 
THE   ONLY   WORTH   WHILE    CAPITOL   SOUVENIR 

In  addition  to  the  wonderful  complete  Story,  this  condensed 
marvel  of  Jiterary  power  contains  fine  copper-plate  engravings 
showing  everything  of  importance.  They  are: 

1.  The  Capitol  Dome. 

2.  East  Front  of  the  Capitol. 

3.  Library  of  Congress. 

4.  Famous  Bronze  Doors,  costing  $28,500. 

5.  Capitol  Rotunda. 

6.  The  Four  Priceless  Trumbull  Paintings;  Declaration  of  In- 

dependence; Victory  at  Saratoga;  Victory  at  Yorktovvn; 
Washington  Resigning  His  Commission  at  Close  of  the 
War. 
10.  Four  History  Paintings,  by  different  artists. 

14.  Brumidi's  Romanesque  Canopy. 

15.  Brumidi's  World-Famous  Fresco,  Around  the  Rotunda. 

16.  The  West  Front. 

17.  The  Supreme  Court  Room. 

18.  The  President's  Room. 

19.  The  Marble  Room. 

20.  Senate  Reception  Room. 

21.  The  Senate  Chamber. 

22.  The  Battle  of  Lake  Erie. 

23.  The  Flag  of  Washington. 

24.  Statuary  Hall. 

25.  The  Original  Hall  of  the  House. 

26.  The  Hall  of  the  House  of  Representatives. 

27.  The  Willard  Statue. 

28.  The  Speaker's  Lobby. 

29.  The  Gold  Room. 

30.  The  Proclamation  of  Emancipation;   showing  Lincoln  and 

His  Cabinet  when  Proclamation  was  issued.     Painted  in 
the  White  House. 

31.  Westward   Ho;   the    Incomparable    Mural    Painting   of   the 

March  of  Civilization. 

32.  Face  of  the  Goddess  of  Freedom,  Photographed  Specially, 

on  the  very  Tiptop  of  the  Capitol. 

These  expensive  engravings  are  worth  many  times  the  small 
price  of  the  story;  and  they  go,  without  extra  charge,  with  the 
condensed  and  incomparable  Patriotic  Story,  by  a  distinguished 
American  Journalist. 

Price  Twenty-five  Cents  By  Mail  Thirty  Cents. 

159 


FRY'S  PATRIOTIC  SCHOOL  HISTORY 
OF  THE  CAPITOL 

Every  educator,  in  every  school,  academy,  college  or  university 
should  have  "Fry's  Complete  School  History  of  the  Capitol." 

In  an  interesting  and  entertaining  manner,  the  author  uses 
his  story  of  the  Capitol  as  a  vehicle  for  teaching  the  Constitution 
of  the  United  States ;  a  Book  on  Civics,  of  great  value. 

CONSTITUTION  IN  A   NUTSHELL 

"Smith  D.  Fry,  veteran  newspaper  writer,  has  written  a  bro- 
chure on  Constitutional  law,  and  it  is  a  remarkable  condensation 
of  the  supreme  law  of  the  land,  and  will  be  of  the  greatest  value 
to  boys  and  girls,  who  Smith  says  should  have  indelibly  impressed 
on  their  minds  the  legend — 'all  men  and  women  are  created  equal.' 

"Never  exploiting  himself  in  the  slightest  degree,  but  allowing 
his  work  to  speak  for  itself,  Mr.  Fry  has  never  heretofore  spoken 
of  the  fact  nor  intimated  that  he  was  a  student  of  law ;  and  yet. 
he  was  graduated  by  the  National  University  Law  School  of  this 
city  forty  years  ago,  in  the  class  of  1879. 

"That  he  has  been  a  profound  student  of  constitutional  law 
ever  since  that  time,  in  some  degree  accounts  for  the  fact  that  he 
has  enjoyed  the  confidence  and  intimate  friendship  of  such 
scholars  in  public  life  as  Senator  Hill  of  New  York,  Senator 
Hoar  of  Massachusetts,  Senator  Davis  of  Minnesota,  Senator 
Quay  of  Pennsylvania,  Senator  Spooner  of  Wisconsin,  Speaker 
Reed  of  Maine,  Speaker  Cannon.  Speaker  Clark  and  all  others 
in  that  intellectual  class." — From  The  Washington  Herald. 

Price  Fifty  Cents  By  Mail,  Sixty  Cents 

SMITH  D.  FRY.  Author        P.  O.  Box  1714,  Washington,  D.  C. 


160 


